Reading from Monday, June 7

Yeah, I'm behind, I'm sorry.

Reading for June 7
1 Kings 2:1-3:2
Solomon goes on an effing rampage!

Similar to the advice to beat someone up the first day you're in prison to establish your cred, Solomon takes the throne and then immediately starts murdering people. Here is everyone he killed or had killed in Chapter 2:

• Adonijah - the guy who was gonna become king before Solomon did. Adonijah was killed for asking to marry Abishag - the woman who took care of David as he was dying. 
• Joab - the army commander. For his reckless muderings during David's reign.
• Shimei - some dude who Solomon asked to live in Jerusalem. He told him never to leave. One day his slaves escaped and he went after them, leaving Jerusalem. For this he was murdered.
• Abiathar - a priest who Solomon believes is worthy of death, withholds his wrath until a later time. Abiathar is not killed in this chapter, but I think its happening shortly.

 Solomon Smash!

For the guy who wrote Proverbs, which contains some of the best nuggets of wisdom anywhere in the world, he was kind of a bloodthirsty maniac to start...

Acts 5:1-42
The disciples get a taste of Jesus' persecution.

So as we read in the last chapter, we're starting to see the priests and Sadducees and all those dudes get jealous and fearful of Jesus. Only now Jesus is working through a group of 12. Peter and John are considered the leaders and they are once again brought before the council of holy dudes. They are thrown in jail, but during the night an angel comes to bust them out. The next morning, the religious council members find them in the temple courts, once again preaching in the name of Jesus.

They bring them in again and contemplate killing them. Then one guy, Gamaliel tries to persuade the Sadducees to let Peter and John go. Saying:

Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. ³⁹But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.

So Peter and John are flogged, ordered to stop preaching in Jesus' name and subsequently released. Here's how that chapter wraps up:

1The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. ⁴²Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

Consider it pure joy, brothers when you face trials of many kinds.


Psalm 125:1-5
 ⁴ Do good, O LORD, to those who are good,
       to those who are upright in heart.
 ⁵ But those who turn to crooked ways
       the LORD will banish with the evildoers.
       Peace be upon Israel.

I think this shows the limited human understanding of God at this point in history. It's logical to think that God would reward those who are good, and punish those who are bad. That's how we as people roll. But how could anyone have ever guessed that God would do good to those who 'turn to crooked ways'. God died for those people that David demanded God banish. 

Proverbs 16:25
I think this is a repeat proverb, I've definitely heard it before...

 ²⁵ There is a way that seems right to a man,
       but in the end it leads to death.

 Right? Doesn't that sound familiar?

OK, prayer request time. It's a particularly busy time for both me and Jilly at work. Would you pray for us and for unprecedented strength and perseverance to get through it all in one piece?

Remember, you can send in prayer requests in the comments below, or to my email: brandonamurray@gmail.com and I will pray for you as well. Thanks chums. Much love.