tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39825571756844988202024-09-09T21:04:29.203-04:00In July, 2010 I began this blog with reflections on a few chapters out of the first book of the Bible, Genesis. Each subsequent entry is a meditation on consecutive chapters and books of the Bible. I write about the passages to which God directs my attention.oceankitkathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11855020740584509929noreply@blogger.comBlogger116125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3982557175684498820.post-7736713273140253932012-10-29T14:13:00.000-04:002012-10-29T14:13:00.929-04:00

“Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord?” was not so much a question as it was God’s rebuke to Jehosephat, the King of Judah “who did what was right in the eyes of the Lord”. (1 Kings 22:43) Jehosephat’s “heart was devoted to the ways of the Lord” (2 Chronicles 17:6) and he did so much that was right in Judah. He sent teachers of the Law to numerous towns so that

oceankitkathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11855020740584509929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3982557175684498820.post-67630643501095537562012-01-05T11:38:00.001-05:002012-01-05T11:39:33.955-05:00

Genesis 49: 10   The scepter will not depart from Judah 2 Samuel 7: 11b – 16The Lord declares to you that the Lord Himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom.  He is the one who will build a house for my Name and

oceankitkathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11855020740584509929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3982557175684498820.post-64241524323222881672011-11-12T22:48:00.001-05:002011-11-14T20:09:16.420-05:00

Isaiah 55:11 "So is my Word that goes out from my mouth;  It will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which it was sent." God’s Word does not return to Him empty.  Throughout the Bible, God spoke through men oftentimes making proclamations about the future.  As humans, we have an ordinary grasp of time – we know the past &

oceankitkathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11855020740584509929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3982557175684498820.post-56686573383330574892011-09-28T02:12:00.000-04:002011-09-28T02:12:40.869-04:00

Image via WikipediaIsrael today is a country surviving in the midst of a hostile world.  Her immediate neighbors wish fervently to completely eradicate her while her strongest supporter, the United States, has become tepid and lukewarm.  Although the general populace of America strongly supports Israel,  Washington seeks either Arab approbation or simply Israel's demise.  At

oceankitkathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11855020740584509929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3982557175684498820.post-41457722272269049912011-08-07T20:23:00.010-04:002011-08-07T21:53:36.743-04:00

Tremendous miracles, signs, and wonders were seen throughout Samaria, the Northern Kingdom of Israel which was so deeply entrenched in pagan worship.  No, pagan deities did not perform miracles.  Rather, through Elisha the prophet, God worked miracles and made the supernatural into the expected or anticipated.   Throughout these chapters, God’s love and compassion were

oceankitkathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11855020740584509929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3982557175684498820.post-35063989010351395532011-05-25T12:08:00.000-04:002011-05-25T12:08:44.730-04:00

Image via WikipediaWhen God speaks prophetically through a man, God's Word comes true.  However, prophets are not like fortune tellers in that they don't use tarot cards, crystal balls, or devices to communicate the future simply because someone requests it.  Prophets speak God's Word when God choses to speak through them.  Typically, these prophecies have significant national and

oceankitkathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11855020740584509929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3982557175684498820.post-80886576962766697962011-05-22T10:53:00.000-04:002011-05-22T10:53:37.633-04:00

Image via WikipediaOf all Biblical couples,  Ahab and his wife Jezebel share a legendary notoriety.  Ahab, the King of the Northern Kingdom, Israel, reigned while the prophet, Elijah the Tishbite, proclaimed God's Word to a nation that rejected God.  King Ahab embraced Baal worship, encouraged all forms of pagan idolatry, but actively persecuted the prophets of the Lord, the God of

oceankitkathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11855020740584509929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3982557175684498820.post-32524975335208178162011-05-20T13:08:00.000-04:002011-05-20T13:08:54.828-04:00

Image via Wikipedia God sent the prophet Elijah to Israel, the Northern Kingdom, to testify of His continuinglove for His chosen people.  Though Israel embraced Baal, the God of Israel reached out to His people with miraculous signs wrought through Elijah.  All that Elijah did was designed to draw the heart of Israel back to God. During the reign of Ahab, the political climate of

oceankitkathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11855020740584509929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3982557175684498820.post-46540552351027957382011-05-19T11:58:00.000-04:002011-05-19T11:58:29.635-04:00

Image via Wikipedia Prophesies made and prophesies fulfilled dominate these chapters. Since the Bible is a prophetic book, it’s not a surprise.  Some prophecies were for judgment and destruction while others were for blessing.  Prophecies made and fulfilled within the scope of a few chapters need to be recognized because they demonstrate that God’s Word stands.    Through

oceankitkathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11855020740584509929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3982557175684498820.post-54143120247408283002011-05-10T18:32:00.000-04:002011-05-10T18:32:13.656-04:00

Image via WikipediaIt is so sad that the man to whom God had appeared twice, led the nation of Israel into religious apostasy.  Though Israel was already familiar with worshipping pagan gods such as Molech, Ashtoreth, and Chemosh,  Israel's rulers typically turned the national spiritual focus back to God.  Solomon, on the other hand,  by building altars for these different

oceankitkathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11855020740584509929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3982557175684498820.post-46417382338977957232011-05-07T09:07:00.000-04:002011-05-07T09:07:25.807-04:00

Image via WikipediaThis is a curious account  because so much extra-biblical literature was generated by the queen of Sheba's homage to Solomon.   According to archaeological evidence, Sheba was a mercantile kingdom located in the southwest portion of modern Yemen.  Since it was located on the Red Sea, Sheba benefited from a thriving sea trade of India and East Africa by

oceankitkathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11855020740584509929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3982557175684498820.post-44124970825579398952011-05-01T16:06:00.000-04:002011-05-01T16:06:47.515-04:00

Image via WikipediaAt long last, Solomon completed building the temple and brought the ark of the covenant into the Holy of Holies, the innermost sanctuary of the temple.  While dedicating the temple, Solomon prayed that God would keep His covenant of mercy (Hebrew חֶסֶד (hesed)) with Israel, His people; that God would always keep His eyes on the temple and hear the prayers of

oceankitkathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11855020740584509929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3982557175684498820.post-62011238759679497332011-04-28T18:22:00.000-04:002011-04-28T18:22:31.853-04:00

Image via WikipediaFrom dinner table discussions to congressional debates, people always find fault with their government.  There is always some perceived injustice or something about which to be unhappy.  Yet, 1 Kings 4:20 states:“The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore; they ate, they drank, and they were happy.”  Through God’s miraculously

oceankitkathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11855020740584509929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3982557175684498820.post-73049634460377633672011-04-22T16:54:00.001-04:002011-04-22T16:55:54.966-04:00

Image via WikipediaEssentially, David's last directive to Solomon was to observe God's law so that all would go well with him.  Solomon understood that  he had to "unzip" this "file" of condensed counsel.  By observing how his father ruled, Solomon understood that the key to David's success was his relationship to God.   Solomon understood that he, too, would have to develop

oceankitkathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11855020740584509929noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3982557175684498820.post-44739628731483337182011-04-18T09:52:00.001-04:002011-04-18T09:54:13.502-04:00

Image via WikipediaOften, just before people die, they have the opportunity to impart final advise or thoughts to their loved ones.  Shortly before my Dad's death, my husband and I were visiting him in the hospital.  Dad knew that his time was drawing to a close so he told my husband, "Take care of Kitty and Sarah, because that is important."  To me he  said, "I love you." &

oceankitkathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11855020740584509929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3982557175684498820.post-36350355462741016382011-04-14T20:26:00.001-04:002011-04-14T20:48:34.178-04:00

Image via WikipediaDuring his reign, God had promised David that his descendants would always sit on Israel's throne. No doubt all of his sons coveted the position of a seemingly guaranteed  dynasty.  First Absalom incited a revolt against his father.  Then, toward the end of David's life, another son, Adonijah, attempted to seize the throne. Though both of these sons were

oceankitkathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11855020740584509929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3982557175684498820.post-46773271081561330432011-04-11T16:43:00.000-04:002011-04-11T16:43:15.858-04:00

Image via WikipediaYears ago,  a college friend brought me a recording of David Oistrach playing Brahm's Violin Concerto in D.  I fell in love with the soaring notes; with the affirming orchestra; with the plaintive cry of the violin  that echoed my discouragement;  with the brass which urged me to move on.  Needless to say, I played this piece so many times that I nearly

oceankitkathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11855020740584509929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3982557175684498820.post-2854614098653055492011-04-07T09:47:00.001-04:002011-04-12T17:58:48.900-04:00

Image via WikipediaIf two sons were born to me today, I would name them Jonathan and David to memorialize and invoke a bond of friendship that transcended time and circumstance.  When David, son of Jesse, and Jonathan, son of Saul, became friends,  their spirits connected more deeply than blood.  They remain soul mates for all eternity.  The covenant of friendship they made

oceankitkathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11855020740584509929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3982557175684498820.post-71309166717199703092011-04-06T10:58:00.001-04:002011-04-12T17:58:19.707-04:00

Image via WikipediaKing David straddled a politically tumultuous landscape of Israel.  Numerous citizens still wanted Saul's family to be the monarchs; Absalom had incited so a large portion of the population against David, that a bloody battle had ensued. King David rode this tsunami of unrest with relative composure without  loosing his balance.   This cluster of chapters

oceankitkathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11855020740584509929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3982557175684498820.post-43436037381555512922011-04-04T13:53:00.000-04:002011-04-05T13:27:00.053-04:00

Image via WikipediaAbsalom's life seems to have revolved on such a cruel play on his name which means "my father is peace". On events that really mattered to Absalom, his father was quiet;  a double entendre peace?  So, what is this peace? From the Strong's concordance, the Hebrew word שָׁלוֹם (shalom) or peace means safety, tranquillity, contentment, friendship, and

oceankitkathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11855020740584509929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3982557175684498820.post-38685371526735721412011-03-29T00:33:00.001-04:002011-12-31T17:25:26.265-05:00

Image via WikipediaIn Scripture, there are only a few vignettes of David's family life.   And, in all of  Scripture, it is difficult to find anything as devastating, cruel, and possibly as  avoidable as the events in the account of Amnon and Tamar. In this disturbing family drama, there was no conversation or discussion or any attempt to bring any justice or resolution to

oceankitkathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11855020740584509929noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3982557175684498820.post-30003480147171072422011-03-27T21:31:00.000-04:002011-03-27T21:31:06.175-04:00

Image via WikipediaWhen referring to these chapters, one almost immediately thinks of Davis and Bathsheba, of an illicit steamy love affair.  Well, that is framework but the real theme is about David and his relationship with God. One spring, David, an aging, tired monarch opted to stay at home rather than to go off to another battle.  After resting all day, he decided to step out on

oceankitkathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11855020740584509929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3982557175684498820.post-2291248575031045722011-03-25T23:56:00.000-04:002011-03-26T00:03:30.952-04:00

Image via WikipediaKing David did what all of Israel probably expected the king to do; he claimed and won the territories promised to Israel in God’s covenant with Abraham.  In claiming God’s promises, King David aligned himself with God and exalted God with his life. And then scripture gives us a few vignettes into the heart of this beloved and almost legendary king.  Though David was

oceankitkathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11855020740584509929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3982557175684498820.post-63473653771044329652011-03-21T23:54:00.000-04:002011-03-24T00:40:23.604-04:00

Image via WikipediaThroughout Biblical history, God made very specific promises to only a few people:  most notably Abraham, Moses, and David.  In Genesis 17:7 God said to Abraham, “I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.  The whole

oceankitkathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11855020740584509929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3982557175684498820.post-45218081670966761272011-03-19T16:07:00.000-04:002011-03-21T23:56:37.123-04:00

Image via Wikipedia"All hail King David! Long live the King!!"  And so began a new era in the history of Israel.  During the forty years of King Saul's rule, Israel lived in an atmosphere of fear.  Battles with the Philistines were reactionary rather than offensive campaigns.  King Saul was obsessed with establishing a dynasty in his own name rather than securing the nation of

oceankitkathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11855020740584509929noreply@blogger.com0