Posts with the tag “exile”

Today's Reading: 1 Peter 2:1-25Here Peter calls us to live holy lives. Right in the middle of the chapter he gives us this reason we are to do that:Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.1 Peter 2:10 (ESV)Hopefully, these words sound familiar to you. Peter is referencing here the prophecy from Hosea that we read la...  Read More

Today's Reading: Matthew 1:18-25Here we see the fulfillment of the prophecy we read in Isaiah 7 a little over a week ago.While many people either don't believe in the fact that Jesus was born to a virgin or they dismiss it's importance, it is actually a crucial concept.First, it confirms that Jesus is fully God and fully man. His physical body He received from Mary. But His eternal, holy nature wa...  Read More

Today's Reading: Ezekiel 11:1-25Ezekiel's ministry took place while he was an exile living in Babylon under the rule of King Nebuchadnezzar. Much of his prophecy  is focused on the idea that God’s people had experienced God's judgment—seen in their Babylonian exile—because they had worshiped idols and turned away from God. But at the end of this chapter God gives Ezekiel the first glimpse of His p...  Read More

Today's Reading: Zephaniah 1:1-18Zephaniah prophesied during the reign of King Josiah (640–609 BC), who was the last godly king of Judah and who engaged in widespread religious reforms. The major theme of the book is "the day of the Lord" - a time of judgment against all who do not worship YHWH.Although we won't be reading the entire book, it is encouraging to know that Zephaniah's message wasn't ...  Read More

Today's reading: Hosea 2:2-23Verses 2-13 are a poetic description of Israel’s idolatry as marital infidelity which further expands on the theme of Israel and God's unfaithful wife. Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and Isaiah all use this same allegory in their prophecies. Hosea picture the judgment that will be meted out as a result of their unfaithfulness.In verses 14-23 God describes HIs plan for wooing Israe...  Read More

Today's Reading: Hosea 1:1-2:1 (Note 2:1is part of the oracle in chapter 1.From the Faithlife Study Bible:Hosea prophesied in the northern kingdom of Israel from approximately 750 to 715 BC. This was a time of upheaval and uncertainty. Hosea prophesies the fall of Israel, but does not report the fulfillment of the prophecy—which came in 722 BC when the Assyrian Empire conquered Israel’s capital, S...  Read More

Today's Reading: Micah 1:1-16Micah was a prophet who ministered at roughly the same time as Isaiah during the 8th century BC in Jerusalem. The northern kingdom of Israel fell during his ministry. He predicted both the exile and the return of the southern kingdom of Judah.While Isaiah directs most if his prophecies against the leaders, Micah focuses his prophecies on his own people, condemning thei...  Read More

Today's Reading: 2 Kings 25:1-30This is the account of the final conquest of Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in 587/586 BC. The Babylonians destroy the wall around the city as well as the Temple. Unlike the conquest of Israel in which all the people were scattered into the surrounding nations and never returned, the exile of Judah will not be permanent. Eventually some of the exiles wi...  Read More

Today's Reading: 2 Kings 24:1-20The fall of Judah to the Babylonians occurred in stages. Here is a brief overview of how that occurred:Beginning with the reign of Jehoiakim in 609 BC, the kings of Judah were basically puppet kings under the control of Babylon.In 602 BC, Jehoiakim rebelled against Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar quelled the rebellion and took prisoners back to Babylon—Daniel and his three ...  Read More

Today's Reading: Isaiah 7:1-25Chronologically, the events here take place before the fall of Israel that we read about yesterday. The king of Syria and the king of Israel join forces to attack Judah, the southern kingdom. And Ahaz, the king of Judah is understandably afraid. Ultimately the attack is unsuccessful, but it greatly weakens Judah (see 2 Kings 16).The most notable part of this passage i...  Read More

Today's Reading: 2 Kings 17:1-41Today  we begin a new section of our reading plan. Due to repeated cycles of sin, the covenant curse of exile is poured out. Assyria defeats the Northern Kingdom/Israel (722BC) while Babylonia defeats the Southern Kingdom/Judah (605–586BC).In this chapter we read the sorrowful account of the fall of Israel - the northern 10 tribes. God did exactly what He had warned...  Read More