DAY 165
Old Testament reading: 2 Chronicles 17-19
2 Chronicles 18 recounts the events of 1 Kings 22 and Micaiah, sometimes called “the 401st prophet.” I also find it interesting that Micaiah is condemned by Ahab for saying the exact same thing as Ahab’s own false prophets. It appears Ahab knew the prophets would never tell him anything he didn’t want to hear, but he also knew the Lord was not on his side. Thus, he immediately interpreted Micaiah’s encouragement as a plan of God to bring evil upon him. But today’s reading is really all about Jehoshaphat, one of the truly great kings in Israel’s history. The account of 1 Kings devotes only ten verses to this great leader, but Ezra devotes more than two chapters to him. In fact, were it not for Jehoshaphat’s request for “a word from the Lord (18:4), we may not have known about Micaiah. The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the ways of David and delighted in the ways of the Lord. Jehoshaphat commissioned Levites and priests to travel throughout all the cities of Judah and instruct people in the Law of the Lord. God’s hand with was this king to such a degree that the fear of the Lord fell upon all the nations round about, not unlike the account of Rahab and Jericho Josh 2:8-14). These nations curried the favor of Jehoshaphat with presents and silver as tribute, along with thousands of livestock. His only pitfall was his alliance with Ahab, for which he was roundly rebuked. Yet, God continued with him because of his uprightness of heart.
New Testament reading: 1 Timothy 4-6
“Let no man despise thy youth” (1 Tim 4:12) is perhaps the most well-known passage preached to young Christians. However, it is all but impossible that Timothy could have been anywhere near the age of those who generally receive these words today. We are introduced to Timothy on Paul’s second journey in Acts 16. Assuming Timothy was 18 or so at that time, it was more than a dozen years later that Paul wrote this epistle, putting Timothy near or beyond 30 years of age. This is not to say Paul’s teaching isn’t good for young people today. It is, and it’s good for all Christians, but we misuse the text to teach that Timothy was still a teenager when he received this letter.
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