june

Day 152: Monday, June 1, 2026

Proverbs 4:        A father told his sons of how to live in wisdom as opposed to following the path of the wicked. 

Proverbs 5:        The call in this chapter was for sexual purity.  The reader was warned and the consequences concerning sexual immorality were listed. The resolve was to be true to and rejoice in the wife of his youth.

Proverbs 6:        The writer told of how to get out of debt by working. He also wrote of the seven things that the LORD hates. He finished the chapter with more warnings regarding sexual immorality and its consequences. 

Proverbs 7:         The writer again admonished his son to heed to his commandments. He warned about sexual sins, that time picturing a young man being enticed by the adulterous woman. That path led those who took it to their death.

Day 153: Tuesday, June 2, 2026

Proverbs 8:        Most of the chapter personified godly wisdom.

Proverbs 9:          This proverb contrasted the call of godly wisdom against that of the adulteress woman. Those who heeded wisdom’s call would benefit from her. Those who heeded the call of the adulteress woman would come to destruction.

Proverbs 10:        This proverb was largely full of contrasts between the righteous and the wicked. Specific actions and their fruits were listed.

Proverbs 11:       Very similar to Proverbs 10, this proverb contrasted the righteous and the wicked and their fruits revealed the differences between them.

Proverbs 12:        The righteous and the wicked and the evident fruits of their lives continued being contrasted.

Day 154: Wednesday, June 3, 2026

Proverbs 13:        The contrasts between the righteous and the wicked continued. In verse 11 there is an indication that wealth is not inherently bad. One obtained wealth by fraud while another obtained it by diligent labor. 

Proverbs 14:        The contrasts continued between the righteous and the wicked. The fruits reveal the wise and the foolish. Blessings and curses are inferred for each. 

Proverbs 15:         More counsel was given and contrasted between the righteous and the wicked. Several abominations were listed as warnings.

Proverbs 16:         The contrasts between the righteous and the wicked continued, but we also find the sovereignty of God on display.

Day 155: Thursday, June 4, 2026

Proverbs 17:         The contrasts dealt more with the wicked.  The outcome of their ways would be dreadful.

Proverbs 18:         This proverb concentrated most of its warnings to fools. Verse 17 showed the necessity of hearing both sides of an issue before making an assessment or judgment.

Proverbs 19:        Warnings were listed for the foolish, lying, lazy, and angry ones. The last half of the proverb, however, reminded the righteous of the blessings that the LORD would give them.

Proverbs 20:         Integrity was highly prized, but dishonesty was despised by the LORD. Dishonesty was even considered as abominable before the LORD. 

Proverbs 21:         The wicked ones would not ultimately prosper, but the righteous would be preserved by the LORD.

Day 156: Friday, June 5, 2026

Proverbs 22:        Various themes were written about. Some included instructions to parents concerning the raising their children. More warnings were given regarding generosity, laziness, the adulteress, those given to anger, debt, and borders.

Proverbs 23:       There were warnings about desiring wealth, moving ancient boundaries, an adulteress woman, and drunkenness. There were exhortations to be wise and to live wisely.

Proverbs 24:         The wise and the foolish were again contrasted. The wicked were warned. The righteous were to be diligent to rescue the innocent.

I Kings 5:          Solomon hired Hiram, the king of Tyre, to supply cut cedars for the building of the Temple. Hiram had been a friend of King David. Preparations and agreements were made as the Temple construction would soon begin. This chapter coincided with II Chronicles 2.  

Day 157: Saturday, June 6, 2026

I Kings 6:          The Temple construction began around 968 or 965 BC. It was completed around 961 or 957 BC. There is some debate regarding the early verses of the chapter and how the date of the Exodus is calculated. Some suggest a date for the Exodus of about 1445 BC.  Others suggest a date roughly around 1290 BC.

II Chronicles 2:        Solomon hired Huram, the king of Tyre (“Hiram” in I Kings 5), to supply cut cedars for the building of the temple. This chapter coincided with I Kings 5.  There was additional information given in this chapter regarding the work that would be done for the construction of the temple and Solomon’s house.

II Chronicles 3:        Temple construction began around 968 or 965 BC. This chapter corresponded to I Kings 6.

Day 158: Sunday, June 7, 2026

I Kings 7:        Details were given regarding King Solomon’s house and the buildings around the temple area. Some inner workings of the temple were also described. A portion of this chapter corresponded to II Chronicles 4.

II Chronicles 4:        Some of the details about the furnishings of the temple and the area around it were given.  This chapter corresponded to part of I Kings 7.

Day 159: Monday, June 8, 2026

I Kings 8: Solomon dedicated the temple. He blessed the assembly and then offered a prayer of dedication that went from verses 23-53. He also offered numerous sacrifices and the people rejoiced before the LORD.

Day 160: Tuesday, June 9, 2026

II Chronicles 5:       The Temple was completed and it was time for the feast as it was the seventh month (see Leviticus 23).  The glory of the LORD filled the temple after the priest played the trumpets.

II Chronicles 6:       Solomon dedicated the temple. His prayer of dedication covered most of the chapter. This chapter corresponded to I Kings 8.

Day 161: Wednesday, June 10, 2026

II Chronicles 7:        The LORD responded to Solomon’s prayer from 6:14-42. It was the seventh month. The Feast of Trumpets and the Feast of Booths occurred in the seventh month. The LORD promised blessings for obedience, but warned the people regarding any turning away from Him.

Psalm 134:        The last of the “Ascent” psalms was a call to those priests who served in the temple to bless the LORD as they served Him.

Psalm 136:       The psalmist repeated the phrase “His lovingkindness is everlasting”. That was in reference to the LORD. Even in mentioning the LORD’s judgments on Egypt and Pharaoh, as well as other enemies, it was true that the LORD’s lovingkindness is everlasting! This is seen in that He is Creator, victorious over Israel’s enemies, and the Covenant Keeper.

Psalm 146:        The psalmist called the people of the LORD to praise Him for His power, generosity, and justice. Verse 8 mentioned the LORD opening the eyes of the blind. In Matthew 9:30 as well as John 9:7, Jesus opened the eyes of the blind. Jesus is the LORD!

Psalm 147:       This psalm was very similar in nature to Psalm 146 wherein the people were called to praise the LORD because of who He is. 

Psalm 148:        The call for praising the LORD was given to all creation.  All of creation had its being given from the LORD.

Psalm 149:       The psalmist called the people of God to praise Him with song and dancing.

Psalm 150:       This concluding psalm called for all creation to praise the LORD with music, dancing, celebration, and joy.

I Kings 9:        The LORD responded to Solomon’s prayer from 8:22-53. The LORD promised to bless the people if they obeyed Him, but promised to bring severe consequences if they disobeyed Him. Verse 8 was a warning regarding the temple becoming a heap of ruins. According to II Kings 25:9, the Chaldeans (Southern Babylonians), under King Nebuchadnezzar, burned the temple to the ground in 586 BC. Later, it was mentioned that not all of the Canaanites had been driven out of the land. Three times a year, Solomon offered sacrifices to the LORD. Those corresponded to the three pilgrimage feasts and their closely associated day events. They were the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Passover), the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), and the Feast of Booths (The Day of Atonement).

Day 162: Thursday, June 11, 2026

II Chronicles 8:        The temple and the king’s palace were completed in twenty years. It was around the time of 948 or 944 BC.  In verse 13, the three annual pilgrimage feasts were mentioned. The Feast of Unleavened Bread was associated with Passover. The Feast of Weeks was associated with Pentecost. The Feast of Booths was just after the Day of Atonement. Solomon continued building the kingdom and ensured that the priests and other Levites were taking care of their responsibilities in the temple.

Proverbs 25:       This proverb of Solomon, transcribed later by the men of Hezekiah, warned against indulgences and seeking honor. Solomon used contrasts to make the point of the warnings.

Proverbs 26:        Several warnings are given regarding the fool, the sluggard, and the deceiver.

Proverbs 27:        Severe warnings were given regarding the boastful, the fool, and those who were lazy.

Day 163: Friday, June 12, 2026  

Proverbs 28:        There was much counsel and warning given pertaining to the pursuit of wealth. If this proverb was written by Solomon, or at least compiled by others who copied his writings, the warnings were coming from the most wealthy man on the planet during his lifetime. He encouraged diligent labor, generosity toward the poor, and integrity in financial matters. He warned those who rejected those ways.

Proverbs 29:        Contrasts continued being shown primarily between the righteous and the wicked and the wise and the fool.

Ecclesiastes 1:         It has been common to attribute the human writings of Ecclesiastes to David’s son, Solomon.  It is possible that someone other than Solomon wrote this book.  If Solomon was the human author, from the beginning of the writing, it appeared that he was saying that all of life was vanity. He wrote about some of his pursuits, which were not necessarily wrong. That would change as he continued the writing, but there was the reality that life can seem to be nothing but vanity.  As you read Ecclesiastes, try not to isolate individual verses or paragraphs from the whole of the content. This book comes from the perspective of one who gained much, but found little to no lasting satisfaction. There was a subtle warning: Do not be satisfied with that which cannot rightly and truly satisfy. 

Ecclesiastes 2:         The writer mentioned some of his pursuits wherein he acquired what he set out for.  The formula could be summed up this way: “I saw. I desired. I pursued. I acquired. Vanity!” He found that apart from pursuits with the LORD in mind, all of those were seen as empty. He could not wrap his mind the reality that both the wise and the fool die. What was the point in life if we all get the same outcome?

Day 164: Saturday, June 13, 2026

Ecclesiastes 3:         The writer continued exploring the reality of living life for one’s self. He also recognized that God had given everything for its season. There was much wisdom given in verses 1-8. The conundrums continued, however, when the writer concluded correctly that mankind dies just as animals die. 

Ecclesiastes 4:        Cynicism drenched the early verses of the chapter. The writer recognized that a life filled with hard work and pursuits still came to an end. What descendant would receive all that the single man worked for? This chapter was full of gloom. Verses 2-3 summarized that gloom.

Ecclesiastes 5:         The writer referred to approaching God in the temple. There were warnings given for that. He also spoke of the blessings of the fruits of one’s labors, but also warned about working and earning so as to hoard the material benefits without being generous.

Ecclesiastes 6:        The writer lamented and warned about a life of wealth. One could have a family as well as many years. It was still possible to have them all, but then have no real enjoyment in any of these. 

Day 165: Sunday, June 14, 2026

Ecclesiastes 7:       The commentary on life in a fallen world continued. Facing death’s reality can help with perspective in living, but there was still despair in the writer. Wisdom was good to possess, but even wise men sin against God. This echoed Solomon’s sentiment in I Kings 8:46 and II Chronicles 6:36. The last verse recalled God’s good and perfect creation that was marred by man in his sin.

Ecclesiastes 8:        There is a time and procedure for everything according to wisdom. Still, the righteous man’s wisdom had its limits.  It was good to be wise and act accordingly. Yet, the wise man was to understand that he did not understand everything. The righteous and the wicked both faced the reality of death. Reward awaited those who feared the LORD. Punishment awaited those who did not follow Him. 

Ecclesiastes 9:        One could enjoy the blessing which the LORD had given, but he needed to understand that life is more than enjoyment and that death awaited the living. The back-and-forth struggle in the writer’s mind dominated almost all of the book. Was there meaning and purpose in life? At times it appeared that the writer concluded that there was no point in living. That would be resolved, however, in chapter 12.

Ecclesiastes 10:         The writer continued to contrast wisdom and foolishness, but he gave personal insights from the perspective of a king. He brought the reader to consider what it would be like to be ruled by a wise or a foolish king. In all of the contrasts and apparent vanity of all things, see the warnings that the writer gave to those who were fools. If there was no hope for anyone, why would he warn anyone at all? The warnings lend to the thought that the writer will have a conclusion to the maddening thoughts on life and its purpose.

Ecclesiastes 11:       The writer told the reader to be diligent in their work and in their pursuits. They were to make preparations for the future. He reminded the reader again about how quickly life went by and that in the end, God took account of all things.

Day 166: Monday, June 15, 2026

Ecclesiastes 12:        The writer ended the writing with a reminder to the young man to live life in 

remembrance of his Creator. The perplexing struggle that he presented in Chapters 1-11 seemed to be better understood. He had detailed the reality that of aging and dying.  He concluded by commanding the young man to fear God and keep His commandments. Not all in life was vanity.

I Kings 10:         The Queen of Sheba visited King Solomon and became awestruck at his wisdom and kingdom. The LORD had blessed Solomon immensely with wisdom and wealth. People from all around came seeking to hear Solomon.

I Kings 11:        Solomon’s downfall was largely due to his love for foreign women, those women who worshipped false gods. The polygamy was sin.  The idolatry was evil and it cost Solomon much. The LORD would tear the kingdom in two. The Northern Kingdom would become known as Israel and the Southern Kingdom would be known as Judah. Jeroboam I will become the first king of the Northern Kingdom and Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, will become the first king of the Southern Kingdom. These things would happen when Solomon died. That was 931 BC.

Day 167: Tuesday, June 16, 2026

II Chronicles 9:       This chapter corresponded with I Kings 10 and it touched on the divided kingdom after Solomon died (931 BC.)  Jeroboam I became king of the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and Rehoboam, a son of Solomon, became king over the Southern Kingdom (Judah). 

Proverbs 30:        A new writer admitted his need for the LORD. He also gave warnings and insights for life by beginning sections with comparisons. He illustrated how, at times, creatures showed greater wisdom than people did.

Proverbs 31:       This proverb, by King Lemuel, began with warnings from his mother about the adulteress women and the dangers of intoxication. He was instructed to rule righteously and to show compassion to the truly needy. The remainder of the proverb pictured the virtuous woman and her great worth.

Day 168: Wednesday, June 17, 2026

I Kings 12:        Jeroboam I would be king. Solomon saw him as an enemy and sought to kill him. He was unsuccessful.  Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, reigned over the Southern Kingdom after Solomon died. Rehoboam, although being in the Messianic lineage, rejected good counsel and listened to bad counsel. The division between he and Jeroboam I cannot be rightly overlooked. Jeroboam I, king of Israel, feared that the people under his rule would go to Jerusalem for the required feasts, but not return home to the Northern Kingdom.  He instituted false worship through a false priesthood and his own feast in the Northern Kingdom so as to keep the people loyal to him.  He rejected the LORD in doing those things. 

I Kings 13:        King Jeroboam was warned by a man of God from Judah. He was told about a future king, Josiah, who would sacrifice the false priests whom Jeroboam had appointed. That would be fulfilled about three hundred years later (II Kings 23:15). The story took a strange turn wherein an old prophet who lived in Bethel tricked the man of God from Judah. The man of God was killed by a lion and the old prophet went and retrieved the body even though the Lion was right beside it.

Day 169: Thursday, June 18, 2026

I Kings 14:        Jeroboam I had not obeyed the LORD. His son, Abijah, became sick and would die soon after. The LORD would severely deal with the house of Jeroboam I. The idolatry of the Northern Kingdom was rampant and open.  The deaths of Israel’s king, Jeroboam I, and Judah’s king, Rehoboam were recorded in this chapter. Neither of those men were godly. Jeroboam’s successor was his son, Nadab. Rehoboam’s son, Abijam (aka “Abijah”) succeeded him. He was in the Messianic line.

II Chronicles 10:        Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, was not a godly man. He rejected the counsel of elders and listened to the counsel of the young men whom he had grown up with. That was used by the LORD to bring about His word to make Jeroboam I the king of Israel.

II Chronicles 11:        This chapter focused on Rehoboam and the Southern Kingdom. The LORD did not permit him to fight against Israel. This was to bring about what the LORD had said regarding making Jeroboam the king of Israel.

Day 170: Friday, June 19, 2026

II Chronicles 12:          King Rehoboam and the people forsook the LORD. The LORD allowed Shishak, the king of Egypt, to partially enslave them. This would have been worse had it not been for repentance on Rehoboam’s part. Rehoboam died after reigning for seventeen years, His son, Abijah (aka “Abijam), became king in his place. 

II Chronicles 13:           Abijah, King of Judah, battled against Jeroboam I, King of Israel. Abijah won decisively over Jeroboam I. The LORD struck Jeroboam and he died.

I Kings 15:        In this chapter, the kings of Israel mentioned are Jeroboam I, his son, Nadab, and the man who killed Nadab to become king, Baasha. These were all evil men. The kings of Judah who were mentioned are Rehoboam, Abijam (aka “Abijah”), his son, Asa, and Asa’s son, Jehoshaphat. Asa and Jehoshaphat were men who walked in the ways of the LORD.

Day 171: Saturday, June 20, 2026

II Chronicles 14:         Asa, King of Judah, was confronted by an Ethiopian army of one million men. Outnumbered by over 400,000 men, Asa asked the LORD to deliver Judah and the LORD did so!

II Chronicles 15:        A prophet named Azariah encouraged Asa and the people of Judah by reminding them of the LORD’s promises. Those promises were contingent on their obedience. King Asa sought to lead Judah in the ways of the LORD. One of the ways that he did that was by removing idols from Judah.

II Chronicles 16:         King Asa had relied on the LORD in earlier conflicts, but later, he relied on the king of Aram against a much smaller army. The LORD sent Hanani the seer to confront Asa. Asa responded sinfully. Asa had been a godly man, but he did not finish well.

I Kings 16:        The Northern Kingdom continued to have evil king after evil king. After a power struggle, Omri became king over Israel. He bought the land that would become the capital of Israel. It would be known as Samaria. His son, Ahab, reigned after him and he was worse than all of those before him. At the end of the chapter, a man named Hiel rebuilt Jericho. In Joshua 6:26, over five hundred years earlier, Joshua had prophesied that any man who rebuilt Jericho would lose his oldest son at the laying of its foundation and the loss of his youngest son at the setting of the city gates. Hiel lost his oldest son and youngest son just as Joshua had prophesied. 

Day 172: Sunday, June 21, 2026

II Chronicles 17:        Asa’s son, Jehoshaphat, reigned as king.  This chapter described his early years as king. The LORD blessed him and the Southern Kingdom had peace. Jehoshaphat built a well-fortified kingdom.  He did that by making sure that the people heard and obeyed the word of the LORD and by military strength.

I Kings 17:       The prophet Elijah was introduced into the story. He warned King Ahab about the drought that was coming soon. After that, the LORD sent Elijah to the brook of Cherith where He provided water from a brook and food from the ravens for him. He then sent Elijah to a Gentile widow and performed two miracles there. First, He provided the provisions of flour and oil throughout the drought. Later, He uses Elijah to raise the widow’s son from death. Jesus, in Luke 4:25, referred to Elijah going to the widow in Zarephath.

I Kings 18:        Most of this chapter was between Ahab and Elijah. Ahab was told by his servant, Obadiah, that Elijah had come. Elijah confronted Ahab about his sins and told him to have the 450 prophets of Baal come for a test to see who is truly God. That happened at Mount Carmel and the LORD showed Himself to be God. Elijah slew the 450 prophets of Baal and shortly after he told Ahab to prepare for the drought to end. The rains came. Jesus referred to this in Luke 24:5.

Day 173: Monday, June 22, 2026

I Kings 19:       After the LORD’s demonstration in I Kings 18, Jezebel threatened Elijah’s life. He escaped for the time. The LORD met him there and told him to go to Horeb (Mount Sinai). The LORD met with Elijah and reassured him about what he was to do. The first thing that he was to do was go to Damascus and anoint Hazael as king over Aram. He was also to anoint Jehu as king over Israel and then anoint Elisha as prophet in his place.

I Kings 20:       Ben-Hadad, king of Aram, attempted to take Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom.  The LORD told Ahab, king of Israel, that He would deliver Israel over Aram. The LORD delivered Israel and Ben-Hadad asked Ahab for mercy. Ahab spared Ben-Hadad and the LORD told Ahab that his life would be taken in place of Ben-Hadad’s, a man whom the LORD had devoted to destruction.

Day 174: Tuesday, June 23, 2026

I Kings 21:       Wicked King Ahab wanted the vineyard of Naboth, his neighbor. Naboth was likely from the tribe of Issachar. When Naboth told Ahab that he could not give up his God-given inheritance, Ahab was despondent. Moses, in Numbers 36:7 had written that land could not be transferred from tribe to tribe. Jezebel plotted and Naboth was murdered. The LORD sent Elijah to Ahab so as to tell him of what would happen to him, Jezebel, and his house. Ahab was broken and even repentant. The LORD did not remove the punishment, but held it back until his son’s days. That was detailed in II Kings 9:25-37.

Day 175: Wednesday, June 24, 2026

I Kings 22:       Ahab asked Jehoshaphat to help him take the land of Ramoth-Gilead. Jehoshaphat wanted to hear from the LORD first, but Ahab was reluctant because the only prophet of the LORD at the time was Micaiah. Ahab hated Micaiah because he never prophesied good concerning him. Jehoshaphat wouldn’t budge, so Micaiah was brought in. He told Ahab that he would die in battle. Ahab tried to force Micaiah to change what he said, but Micaiah would not do it. Micaiah was threatened with imprisonment and starvation. Still, he would not change the word of the LORD. Ahab did go to war and died there just as Micaiah said that he would. 

II Chronicles 18 corresponded to this chapter.

II Chronicles 18:        This chapter corresponded to I Kings 22 wherein Ahab asked Jehoshaphat to help him take Ramoth-Gilead. Jehoshaphat wanted to hear confirmation from the LORD. Ahab had four hundred prophets of Baal telling him that the LORD was favorable toward him in that. Jehoshaphat detected that those prophets were false and asked if there was a prophet of the LORD. Ahab hesitantly summoned the prophet Micaiah, a man who never prophesied good concerning wicked Ahab. Michaiah was asked by the king’s messenger to speak favorably toward the king, but Micaiah told the messenger that he would speak what the LORD had given him to speak.  Micaiah mocked Ahab by telling him that he would be successful in the battle. Ahab detected Micaiah’s sarcasm and commanded him to tell only the truth. Micaih gave the word of the LORD. Ahab would go to battle, but he would be killed there. Ahab threatened Micaiah, but Micaiah would not change the word of the LORD. Ahab disguised himself in the battle, but that did not protect him. He was hit by a random archer’s arrow and he died later that day in the battle as Micaiah said that he would.

II Chronicles 19:         Jehoshaphat was confronted by Jehu the seer, but Jehoshaphat responded well. He led the people of Judah back to the LORD. He established systems wherein the people were told how to live obediently and honorably unto the LORD.

Day 176: Thursday, June 25, 2026  

II Chronicles 20:        The chapter began with information about a three-army alliance coming against Jehoshaphat and Judah. Jehoshaphat prayed to the LORD, admitting their powerlessness, but also that they were looking to the LORD. The LORD delivered in an awesome way and Judah was triumphant. Jehoshaphat was a good king overall, but erred in aligning with Ahab’s son, Ahaziah. He died after reigning for twenty-five years in Judah.

II Chronicles 21:       After Jehoshaphat died, his son, Jehoram (aka Joram), became king. He was a wicked man and the LORD later killed him with an incurable illness in his bowels. Even after two years of great pain, Jehoram did not repent and turn to the LORD. His son, Jehoahaz (aka Ahaziah), became king over Judah.

II Chronicles 22:        Jehoram’s son, Ahaziah, became king in his father’s place. He too was a wicked man.  There is another Jehoram mentioned in this chapter. He was a son of Ahab, the king of Israel. The power struggles continued and after Ahaziah died, his mother, Athaliah, reigned in Judah. She was a granddaughter of Omri, a former king of Israel. The spiritual state in the Northern Kingdom was dreadful at the time.

Day 177: Friday, June 26, 2026

II Chronicles 23:      After six years of wicked Athaliah’s reign over Judah, Jehoida the priest took action in year seven. He and others made Ahaziah’s son, Joash, the king over Judah.  Athaliah was killed and the people rejoiced.

Obadiah 1:        This word from the prophet Obadiah was against Esau’s descendants. They were known as the Edomites or the people of Mount Seir. When the sons of Israel faced difficulties, the Edomites did not help. Not only did they not help, they took advantage of the sons of Jacob, their relatives. The LORD delivered a blistering warning. Edom would face judgment like all other nations who were enemies of the LORD. The Edomites were prideful and they trusted in their devices. The LORD would have no difficulty in destroying them.

Psalm 82:        This Psalm was about sinful men who served as judges over the people. They had been bought and were perverting justice. The psalmist called them to judge rightly and deliver the right judgments. This Psalm was also referring to sinful men who all die. It did not present the idea that men can become gods. The Latter-Day Saints (i.e. Mormons) incorrectly believe that this was a major point of the Psalm. It was actually an imprecatory Psalm confronting unjust judges to repent and judge justly.

Psalm 83:        The psalmist asked the LORD to deal with His enemies and several were listed. He did ask, in verse 16, for the LORD to judge them so that they would seek the LORD. 

II Kings 1:       Ahab’s son, Ahaziah, became sick and sought help from false gods. The LORD sent Elijah to tell Ahaziah’s messengers that he would die because of this. Ahaziah sent more messengers to Elijah, but two groups of fifty men were killed by the LORD. A third group came and asked for mercy. Elijah went to Ahaziah and told him that he will not recover. Ahaziah died. Because Ahaziah had no son, a man of the Northern Kingdom named Jehoram becomes king over Israel. At the same time, a different man named Jehoram, a son of King Jehoshaphat, was reigning as king over Judah. It was 852 BC.

Day 178: Saturday, June 27, 2026

II Kings 2:        The prophets Elijah and Elisha traveled to the Jordan River shortly before Elijah was taken up to heaven. Elijah told Elisha to ask what he wanted Elijah to do for him. Elisha asked for a double portion of his spirit. After that, Elijah was taken up and Elisha remained. Very early in his prophetic ministry, he was mocked by young lads/men and he cursed them. They showed disdain and disrespect toward the man of God. They very well could have intended to harm or even kill him. There were forty-two of them. Those young men were killed by two bears. Those young lads were not children and their mockery of Elisha likely had to do with them being idolaters and mocking the LORD and His servant. 

II Kings 3:         After Ahab, the king of Israel died, Mesha, the king of Moab, stopped paying tribute to Israel.  Ahab’s son, Jehoram, the reigning king over Israel, sought to attack Moab. He aligned with Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, and the king of Edom. Edom was paying tribute at that time. Elisha told them what the LORD would do, but not before telling the king of Israel that it was only because of Jehoshaphat’s presence that the LORD was even willing to acknowledge him. The LORD delivered, but Moab’s king, realizing that he was defeated, sacrificed his oldest son and Israel retreated from there without conquering Moab. That last part is puzzling. God did not honor the wicked king’s sacrifice of his son, but He did use it to bring dread upon Israel.

Day 179: Sunday, June 28, 2026

II Kings 4:        There were multiple miracles recorded in this chapter. First, a widow of a faithful prophet could not pay her debts. She and her two children would be taken as slaves. Elisha told her what to do and although she only had a small jar of oil, as she obeyed Elisha, she ended up with a substantial amount of oil. It was enough to pay the debt and for she and her family to live on. Next, a husband and wife showed consistent hospitality to Elisha. The couple was barren. After a while, Elisha told her that she would have a son. She didn’t ask for a son, but a son was born to her. When the boy was a few years old, he unexpectedly died. The woman went to Elisha and he went to where the boy was.  He raised the boy from the dead. After that, Elisha saved a group of prophets who had unknowingly eaten poison. The chapter concluded with a miracle of Elisha feeding several people with a small amount of food. That miracle would be done by Jesus to a much a greater extent; (see Matthew 14:15-21, 15:32-38, and John 6:5-13).

II Kings 5:         A man named Naaman, a valiant warrior and a leper, was sent by the king of Aram to the king of Israel to be healed. The king of Israel knew that he couldn’t heal the man, but Elisha sent word to the king to send Naaman to him. Elisha told Naaman what to do and Naaman was furious at first.  He finally did what Elisha told him to do. He was healed and wanted to gift Elisha. Elisha refused and Naaman left. Elisha’s servant, Gehazi, pursued Naaman and took a payment from him. When Gehazi returned, Elisha knew what he had done.  Elisha told Gehazi that he and his descendants would have leprosy forever.

Day 180: Monday, June 29, 2026

II Kings 6:        Elisha helped a fellow prophet recover an iron axe head from the Jordan River by making the iron float. Later, after the king of Aram surrounded the city where Elisha and his attendant were staying, Elisha prayed for his fearful attendant to be able to see the army of the LORD. The LORD showed Elisha’s servant His heavenly army. After that, there was a severe famine in the Northern Kingdom and some of the people resorted to cannibalism. The king of Israel, Jehoram, wanted Elisha killed and he sent a messenger to Elisha.

II Kings 7:          During a severe famine, Elisha prophesied that the LORD would provide food in great abundance and in only one day’s time.  King Jehoram’s messenger did not believe Elisha and Elisha told him that he would see the provisions, but not enjoy any of them.  Four leprous men decided to risk their lives in search of food. They came upon the camp of the Arameans only to find it deserted because the LORD had caused the Arameans to hear chariots, horses, and a great army. Therefore. the Arameans fled in haste. The leprous men began enjoying the spoils, but felt guilty.  So, they reported what they had found to King Jehoram. The king believed that it was a trap even though Elisha said that a great provision would occur. The king finally allowed men to search out the situation and Elisha’s word proved true. King Jehoram’s messenger, who did not believe Elisha, witnessed this provision, but was killed by the people.

Day 181: Tuesday, June 30, 2026

II Kings 8:         The chapter began with a seven-year famine. Elisha informed Hazel, servant of Ben-hadad, king of Aram, that Ben-hadad would recover from a sickness. He told Hazael, however, that Ben-hadad would certainly die. Elisha wept because he knew the awful things that Hazael would do to the sons of Israel. Ben-hadad recovered, but Hazael suffocated him and became king of Aram. The last half of the chapter corresponded to II Chronicles 21-22, wherein the two Joram’s or Jehoram’s stories were told. One was the king over Israel. The other was king over Judah. Be careful as you read so as to be able to distinguish between the two men. Neither king sought the LORD.

II Kings 9:        Elisha sent a prophet to anoint Jehu as king over the Northern Kingdom. Jehu was made king, but Jehoram (aka “Joram”) was still reigning. Jehu killed Jehoram and then had Ahaziah, king of the Southern Kingdom, killed. Jehu went to Jezreel and there he had Jezebel killed. Thus, the house of Ahab was no more and Elijah’s prophecy concerning Jezebel from 

I Kings 21:29 came to fruition.