As for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him. The priests who serve the LORD are sons of Aaron, and the Levites assist them. – 2 Chronicles 13:10

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 15, 2026): 2 Chronicles 13

On January 24, 2026, Alex Pretti became yet another person killed by a gun in the United States. He became the second person during the month of January 2026 to be killed by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The situation was a little different from the killing of Renee Good earlier in the month, but it was still a tragedy. My plea hasn’t changed from police instigated deaths in the past. I know it is your right to carry a gun, but please, don’t give law enforcement a reason to kill you. Leave your gun somewhere else. You might have the right to carry a gun, and as the story of Renee Good proved, you might get shot anyway, but while you have the right to carry, or the right to be snarky with law enforcement, in the end, you might still be dead. You will be in the right, but you won’t be alive to celebrate the correctness of your position. It shouldn’t be that way, but it is our shared reality. The world needs you! Please, stay safe.

The day after Alex Pretti’s death, many important or semi-important people came out on X with comments and condolences. One of those semi-important people was former President Bill Clinton. Clinton wrote;

Over the course of a lifetime, we face only a few moments where the decisions we make and the actions we take will shape our history for years to come. This is one of them. If we give our freedoms away after 250 years, we might never get them back (President Bill Clinton, January 25, 2026).

I have friends on both sides of this issue. And I have been blunt in the past; I do not agree with many of the President's actions. Prior to his first term, I was one of those “idiots” who believed that if Mr. Trump became President, after his second term, there was a good chance that meaningful elections would end in the United States. The big American experiment, democracy, would come to an end. I am not as sure about that prediction now, partially because of Donald Trump’s health. However, freedoms are being eroded, and I do worry about the liberties future Presidents might take. The example has been set, and it might be impossible for future leaders, Republican and Democratic alike, to resist the temptation to remove more of those freedoms.

Not everyone agrees with me, and I get that; I am not offended. One of my core beliefs is that we need to get along with each other. My hope is that we will seriously evaluate the freedoms we are losing and have the courage to stand up at some point and say, "Enough is enough."

Abijah speaks to his northern neighbors, the Israelites, about one of their decisions. He was concerned that the role of the Levites had been wiped away. According to the Law given to Moses, the Levites were supposed to oversee the nation's religious life. In Judah, Abijah’s nation, that was still the law of the land. The Levites still cared for the Temple, and the descendants of Aaron still served as the nation’s priests, as God had intended for both Judah and Israel. However, Jeroboam had changed that in Israel. Abijah wanted to remind Israel of the way they had drifted away from the Law of Moses.  They could make the change back, but they would need to demand that change. Israel had become used to the new way of doing things, and they would never return to the way it should have been. Because sometimes, the journey back is just too hard. What we give away may never be returned.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 14

 

In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijah became king of Judah. – 1 Kings 15:1

Today's Scripture Reading (February 14, 2026): 1 Kings 15

Do you know what happened on October 12, 1582? My mother's birthday is October 12, which is just a random fact, but she wasn't alive in 1582 (maybe an unnecessary statement of the obvious). The answer to what happened on October 12, 1582, throughout our entire planet is nothing. No one was born, no one died, no wars were fought, no scientific advancements were made, and nobody even woke up in the morning or went to bed at night on that day in 1582. In fact, October 12, 1582, was near the end of the most boring ten days in history. Why? Because the days from October 5 to 14, 1582, don't actually exist. People went to bed on Thursday, October 4, 1582, and woke up on Friday, October 15, 1582. In an effort to correct the shift that had happened in our calendar, those days simply disappeared as we moved from the Julian Calendar to the Gregorian Calendar. The problem was that when measured against solar events, there had been some significant drift. The shortest day of the year was no longer December 21; now, it was December 11. And unless something were done, that date would continue to drift until our seasons were all messed up. So, they did two things. First, they changed the way that we counted leap years. Instead of celebrating a leap year every four years, they eliminated three leap years every four hundred years. So, according to the new rule, any year divisible by 100 is not a leap year unless it is also divisible by 400. According to that rule, the year 2000 was a leap year, but the years 2100, 2200, and 2300 won't be. The second thing they did was make the jump from Thursday, October 4, 1582, to Friday, October 15, 1582. The days in between don't exist; they never happened.

We made another, maybe less significant, change more recently when we moved from the notation AD (Anno Domini) to CE (Common Era or what we in the church sometimes call the Christian Era). Nothing has changed regarding the dates on our calendars, although I still have friends who request AD whenever I give a date in CE notation because they say the new notation confuses them. But nothing more than a change in notation occurred; the dates remained the same.

Chronicles focuses on the reigns of the Judean Kings. The only mention of the Kings of Israel in the north is to give us some idea of the era in which they ruled. So, the author of Chronicles tells us that the reign of Abijah began eighteen years into Jeroboam's reign in the north. Dates were not coordinated in any way. Usually, they were just counted from some national event. The Bible often dates the reigns of the Kings in the South according to those in the north. And for the Kings in the north, the reverse is usually true; they are dated by the reigns of the Kings of the South. So even though they were often adversaries, the two Kingdoms remained intimately tied together.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 13

See Also 2 Chronicles 13:1

In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem. – 1 Kings 14:25

Today's Scripture Reading (February 13, 2026): 1 Kings 14

During the early days of World War II, several governments existed in exile, often setting up their administrations in far-flung places such as Australia, London, or even Washington, D.C. Their homelands might have been occupied, but these governments never gave up hope of regaining control of their native countries. Free France, headquartered in London, might be one of the best-known of these nations, but Free France was only the tip of the Iceberg.

One of the least remembered governments in exile was that of Belgium. King Leopold III tried to keep Belgium neutral during the war, but it proved futile. Germany invaded Belgium in May of 1940, and King Leopold, believing that his country did not have the strength to resist, opened up the gates of the nation to the Germans, surrendering the nation to their control. It was a move that earned him hostility from the Belgian people, while the government was forced to flee Belgium and set up a government-in-exile in Bordeaux, in the Southwestern part of France. And when France fell, the Belgian government moved to London. As for King Leopold III, the monarch stayed in Belgium as a guest of the Germans. After the war, Leopold was an unwelcome presence in the nation he once ruled and was seen as a Nazi sympathizer. Leopold fled Belgium, and when he finally returned in 1950, his presence almost sparked a civil war.

Jeroboam was an official in King Solomon's government responsible for managing the Northern workforce in many of Solomon's building projects. And in this position, he was a first-hand witness to the discontent of the Northern tribes that marked Solomon's time on the throne. Jeroboam began exploring how he could become King of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. It didn't take long for Solomon to become aware of a possible rebellion brewing within his ranks and Jeroboam's connection with the rebels. And so, Jeroboam ran to Egypt and enjoyed the hospitality of Shishak, the King of Egypt, usually identified as the Pharaoh Shoshenq.

Jeroboam would remain in Egypt for the rest of Solomon's life, only daring to return to Israel after Solomon's death. He had no appetite to take on Solomon in a civil war. But his son, Rehoboam, was a different matter. Now the nation was ripe for a civil war. While in Egypt, Jeroboam essentially set up a government in exile. He made friends and allies who would support him when the time came to fight back home.

At first, a civil war between Israel and Judah was avoided. However, in the fifth year of the reign of Rehoboam, Shishak attacked from the south, bringing with him other friends whom Jeroboam had made during his period of exile. We really don't know whether they were attacking because of the relationship that Jeroboam had built with them during his time of exile, or just picking on a nation at a moment of weakness. What we do know is that Rehoboam had been successfully isolated, and this was a war that Judah's King wasn't going to win. Rehoboam seemed to understand what was happening, and he reinforced the cities on the nation's southern and western borders in anticipation of an attack from Egypt. Still, the Book of Chronicles argues that because of Rehoboam's unfaithfulness, that action was not enough to save the nation.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 15

See Also 2 Chronicles 12:2

Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the LORD’s anger turned from him, and he was not totally destroyed. Indeed, there was some good in Judah. – 2 Chronicles 12:12

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 12, 2026): 2 Chronicles 12

If all of your friends did something stupid, would you do it too? It is a classic question of a parent whose child wants to do something dangerous or uncalled for. It is actually not a very good question. If all of my friends are going to jump off the local bridge, no, I am not jumping. What that event will do is make you go and find new friends. And the thing that I am planning to do is obviously not that objectively stupid. Jumping off a bridge or a cliff, especially onto land, is objectively stupid. I know that jumping won’t hurt me, but the sudden stop will. Jumping off a cliff into water, depending on how high the cliff is, might seem like fun. I am still not sure I would do it, but I know others who probably wouldn’t give that jump a second thought.

Often, these sorts of things are comparative in nature. If a friend has done it and survived, I might be more likely to do it. Maybe. I tend to have a fairly strong independent streak, but even I have heard the phrase about jumping off a bridge from my mom during my teenage years. However, it was usually pointed at me because I wanted to go out in the middle of a snowstorm in just a jean jacket or some other foolish, but relatively small, action. What going out in a snowstorm has to do with jumping off a bridge, I am still more than a little unclear.

Rehoboam was not a good King. His father, King Solomon, had laid the foundation for a divided empire, but with a bit of wisdom, Rehoboam could have saved the nation; he didn’t. He tried to set Israel up to defend itself against Egypt and lost anyway. He ignored his own spiritual health, as well as that of his family and his nation. He followed in the path of his father, marrying many wives, although only a fraction of the number Solomon had married, against the instructions of God. He carried on a civil war with Israel, even though he was given the chance to avoid it early in his career. The list could go on. All of this happened because Rehoboam chose the wisdom of his friends over that of his God-appointed advisors.

However, as bad as Rehoboam might have been, he wasn’t as bad as Jeroboam. And so, while Egypt would defeat them and rob the Temple of its treasure, including, according to Steven Spielberg’s “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” carrying away the Ark of the Covenant, Egypt did not occupy Judah. Egypt had fought to support Israel, but Jeroboam was unable to defeat Judah as well. This passage reminds us that there was some good in Judah, and probably more than in Israel. And that good saved Rehoboam from possibly having to jump off a bridge.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 4

He put shields and spears in all the cities, and made them very strong. So Judah and Benjamin were his. – 2 Chronicles 11:12

Today's Scripture Reading (February 11, 2026): 2 Chronicles 11

The Korean War was fought from June 25, 1950, until July 27, 1953. In contrast, M*A*S*H, the dramady about the Korean War, ran from September 1972 until February 28, 1983, almost four times as long as the actual fight lasted on the Korean Peninsula. But one thing that the dramady appears to stress is that the Korean War, in many ways, was a civil war. Foreign nations had become entwined in what was a local conflict. Korea had been a Japanese colony for thirty-five years before World War II. At the end of the war, the nation was divided into two occupation zones: the north, under Soviet Control, and the south, under U.S. control. In 1948, two governments took control of the nation, each claiming to be the legitimate government of the Korean Nation. In the north, Kim Il-sung, the grandfather of the current North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, ruled in Pyongyang. In the South, Syngman Rhee ruled over the portion of the Korean Peninsula south of the Military Demarcation Line, which approximately follows the 38^th Parallel, from Seoul. And in 1950, the two factions clashed in an effort to take control of the Peninsula.

But there is no real difference among the Korean people other than where they live on either side of the 38th Parallel. And what that meant is that one of the stories of the war was that parents placed sons in both armies, hoping that one might be on the winning side. It is a story the writers of M*A*S*H attempted to tell in one episode.

Today, more than seventy years later, the Korean Peninsula remains divided. And a military buildup continues on the Peninsula. But the buildup is not really about foreign nations; the weapons are still aimed at the other side of the Peninsula. I am not sure if we will ever see a renewal of hostilities between the North and South, but if the war resumes, it will likely once again be an international fight staged on the Korean Peninsula.

When Israel divided into the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah, there was no civil war. That conflict was avoided, at least in the early days of the divided Kingdom. But that didn't mean that the new Kingdoms did not need to build up their capacity for war, not necessarily to fight each other in an attempt to unify the Kingdom, but to defend themselves from other nations.

Rehoboam secures his Kingdom, placing his strongest troops in the South and West of his Kingdom. He didn't seem to be worried about Israel, but rather about an attack from Egypt. And Rehoboam wanted everyone to think that he was ready for any external threat. And he would fight to defend the tribes of Judah and Benjamin.

If there is a failure here, it is this. While Rehoboam stressed the nation's need for an army and city defenses, he failed to reinforce the people spiritually. And that was the real strength that his country needed.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 12

They replied, "If you will be kind to these people and please them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants." – 2 Chronicles 10:7

Today's Scripture Reading (February 10, 2026): 2 Chronicles 10

I met some new friends recently, and a relationship has started. I don't start new relationships easily. I hope this relationship and partnership will continue for a long time. But I also know that often they don't. I have been disappointed by relationships in the past, even very close ones. And at the beginning of a relationship, it is often hard to see how that relationship might end. And yet they do. If only we could see at the start of the relationship what would kill it, maybe we would change that behavior. If only …

Actually, I don't think it is really that hard. It is an attitude, and it will start with me. Oh, I would like to say it will begin with the other person, but that is not reality. The truth is that it has to start with me. I have to be the one to assess and ask, "What am I getting out of this relationship?" At least for me, that question isn't there at the beginning. At the beginning is just a desire to serve – to make the other person better. But later, I began to ask the 'me' questions. That is also the place where the relationship starts to break down. It is there that I lose focus on how I can impact the other person's life.

A genuine relationship always requires an outward focus. As Rehoboam took over the reins of power from his father, he had a chance to restore the country and serve it. But he chose to ask the other question. As a result, the nation he was to lead began a downhill slide.

It is hard, but a fulfilled life truly begins with service. The question in all of our relationships needs to be "how can I serve this person in this place?" If you will be a servant, you truly will have people gathered around you willing to serve. It was that way in the world of Rehoboam, and nothing has changed. It's up to us, but if we want to make the world a better place, we need to choose service!

Rehoboam could have made a difference. He didn't because he listened to the wrong advice and followed a desire that asked, "What is it that you are doing for me?"

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 11

By the word of the LORD a man of God came from Judah to Bethel, as Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make an offering. – 1 Kings 13:1

Today's Scripture Reading (February 9, 2026): 1 Kings 13

Bethel. It is one of the names that keep coming up within the Christian Community. We have blessed our churches, campgrounds, and ministries with the name. And all for good reason. The name Bethel has a long history. The etymology of the name is "House (Beth) of God (El)." In the Hebrew Bible, we are told that Abram pitched his tent near Bethel. Later, his Grandson Jacob would have a dream of a stairway to Heaven at Bethel as he ran from his brother, Esau.

However, the esteemed image of Bethel would tarnish. Originally part of the Tribe of Ephraim, Bethel became a crucial spiritual city in the Northern Kingdom of Israel after the Kingdom split into Israel in the North and Judah in the South. King Jeroboam would make a pair of golden calves for his people to worship, so that they wouldn't have to return to Jerusalem. The King declared that these calves were the gods of Israel who had brought their ancestors out of Egypt, echoing Aaron's message after he had created a golden calf while Moses was on the mountain of God. The Israelite King placed these calves in the northern city of Dan, located within the tribal lands of Naphtali, not in the territory of the tribe of Dan, and in Bethel in the South. Bethel, a city with a rich history with the patriarchs and the worship of the God of Israel, was now made into a spiritual place devoted to the worship of false gods. And it became a key city in leading a nation away from God.

Enter this unknown Judean man. The change had just been made. One would have thought that not everyone would agree with the tactics of Jeroboam to replace Israel's God, but apparently that was not true. No one from Israel could be found to oppose the King's plan, so God sends a man from Judea to oppose Jeroboam while the King stands by the altar, preparing to make a sacrifice.

We don't know who the man was, which might be as important as the message he brings. It is a story that is repeated throughout the biblical record. We know the name of Elijah, but when he first appeared before King Ahab, he was a nobody with an important message. And the fact that he wasn't known wouldn't stop him from speaking truth to power. Here, an unknown man is sent with a message to Jeroboam. And in our world, we shouldn't wait for celebrities or spiritual leaders to speak truth to power. Sometimes, it is even more powerful and necessary for us to speak the truth, for no other reason than that God has given us a message to share with those in a position to change our world.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 10