DAY 144
Old Testament reading: 2 Kings 19-20
2 Kings 19 records God’s deliverance of Judah from the army of Sennacherib, king of Assyria. The Taylor Prism, on display in the British Museum, is a recording of Sennacherib’s excursion into Judah. After conquering many cities and setting up his throne in Lachish, Sennacherib boasted that he had shut up Hezekiah in Jerusalem “like a caged bird.” However, there is no mention of him conquering Jerusalem, and for good reason. In 2 Kings 19:7 we see Isaiah’s prophecy concerning Sennacherib, that he would return home at the sound of a rumor and die in his own land. In verses 35-37 God’s angel killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers without so much as a peep. In the morning, those who remained alive awoke to the silent slaughter. As Isaiah prophesied, Sennacherib went home and was subsequently murdered by his own sons. Chapter 20 records Hezekiah’s near death illness and God’s mercy upon him, restoring his health and extending his life 15 years. It is from this biblical account that we find the well used phrase, “set your house in order.” As a sign of His promise to heal Hezekiah, God made the sun move backwards ten degrees on the sundial. There are urban legends floating around the Internet concerning a discovery of this extra time, but these are fictional accounts and should not be believed, much less forwarded on to others.
New Testament reading: Romans 4-6
This text, and Romans 4:1-5 in particular, causes me to scratch my head. Not the text itself, but the use of it by so many to teach salvation by faith only. Those who appeal to Romans 4:3 as proof of salvation by faith only need to see how James utilized this same text to show how Abraham’s works justified him in the eyes of God (cf James 2:23). Moreover, the same Paul who wrote Romans 4 also wrote Romans 6, wherein we find one cannot be risen with Christ unless he has been baptized into his death (6:3-5). As strong a case as verses 3-4 make for the necessity of baptism to be saved, verse 5 is equally impressive. One must be planted together in the likeness of Jesus’ death (baptized) if he wants to be raised in the likeness of His resurrection. Moreover, we find that one is not set free from sin until after he obeys the form of doctrine delivered by God (6:17-18).
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