Jehoiada the priest sent out the commanders of units of a hundred, who were in charge of the troops, and said to them: "Bring her out between the ranks and put to the sword anyone who follows her." For the priest had said, "Do not put her to death at the temple of the LORD." – 2 Chronicles 23:14

Today's Scripture Reading (March 16, 2026): 2 Chronicles 23

The debate over capital punishment still rages in our society. Those in favor of the death penalty seem to reside on the political right, while those against capital punishment seem to congregate on the political left. What amazes me is that the argument for and against abortion, or what some would call the murder of unborn children, is actually reversed, which means that those who want to kill criminals are the same people who argue against the killing of children, often arguing that every life matters. Those in favor of abortion, killing unborn children, often stand against the use of the death penalty for even the worst of our criminals. I recently had an interesting conversation with one of these people. For him, abortion and even suicide, which he defines as not doing whatever is necessary to stay alive, including not taking the appropriate medications, are sins. He argues that God gives us life, and only God should be able to take it away. But he also emphatically asserts that the death penalty, which has been abolished in his area of the country, should be reinstated. For me, it is an interesting incongruency.

As for me, I am one of those on the right who are uneasy with the death penalty. I understand the logic behind it, but taking a life is never something I think we should do easily. And with the injustice already embedded in our legal structures, maybe it is something we should put in the rear-view mirror. I am not sure how many innocent people we execute in our world every year, but one is too many. There has to be a better way.

Jehoida, the Priest, orders the execution of Athaliah. And maybe there were no other options available other than taking away her life. She had lived a violent life, putting many, including her family members, to death for the crime of simply being in the way of her dream of being the Queen of Judah. One commentator remarked that her death was prudent. And I agree, it likely was. We could assert that Athaliah got what she deserved. But then again, if we all got what we deserved, there would be very little joy in this world.

Athaliah killed her family to get the throne, but Jehoida, the priest, had hidden one grandson away from her evil clutches. And that one grandson was all that was needed to dethrone this usurper queen. Athaliah died just outside the Temple. And while the action might have been prudent, we can't forget that God loved and had a different plan for Athaliah's life than the one she chose. And because of that, the prudent death of Athaliah is also a tragedy.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 24

See also 2 Kings 11:15

Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother’s name was Athaliah, a granddaughter of Omri. – 2 Chronicles 22:2

Today’s Scripture Reading (March 15, 2026): 2 Chronicles 22

Intermarriage is nothing new in Royal circles. One of my favorite historical photographs is entitled “Nine Kings.” The picture was taken on May 20, 1910, at the funeral of Edward VII of the United Kingdom. It is the only photo of nine hereditary monarchs gathering in one room. But not only were these nine men, they were all men, kings over different nations, but the photo was also a picture that could have been taken at a family reunion. Every person in the photo is related to the others, either cousins and nephews or related by marriage. The picture could have featured ten kings, but the embattled Emperor Nicholas II of Russia, a nephew of Edward VII, felt that leaving Russia at that time and reinforcing his relationship with the other Kings of Europe was an unwise course. A couple of years later, another king could have been added to the list as he married into the family. European royalty was dreadfully intermarried.

Many of these monarchs traced their ancestry back to Queen Victoria. Victoria is often referred to as the Grandmother of Europe, and her lineage continues to fascinate historians. Of course, Victoria married the love of her life, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Victoria and Albert were first cousins, so most of European royalty can trace their lineage back to a pair of cousins who sat on the British Throne.

Not only were Victoria and Albert first Cousins, but the intermarriage of this family continued. Victoria’s son, Edward VII, at whose funeral the “Nine Kings” photo was taken, married his third cousin, Alexandra. George V, the son of Edward VII, married Mary of Teck, his second cousin. George V’s granddaughter, Elizabeth II, married Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, her third cousin and second cousin once removed, depending on which route through the family tree you decide to take. Both Elizabeth and Philip were descendants of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. King Charles and Lady Diana were seventh cousins once removed, but King Charles and Queen Camilla are second cousins, and, once again, Charles and Camilla are both descendants of Victoria and her son, Edward VII.

A judgment has been pronounced on the House of Omri of Israel. In fact, the descendants of Ahab, Omri’s son, were exterminated by King Jehu. Some believe that Jehu was possibly a great-grandson of Omri. So, while the house of Ahab was wiped out, it is possible that the lineage of Omri continued through the reign of Jehu.

King Jehoram of Judah married Athaliah, a member of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Athaliah was either the daughter of Omri or the daughter of Ahab and granddaughter of Omri. But either way, the lineage of the evil King Omri, because of this intermarriage, continued in the line of the Kings of Judah, starting with Ahaziah, and then Joash, Kings of Judah, but descendants of Omri, King of Israel.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 23 

When Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family. – 2 Kings 11:1

Today's Scripture Reading (March 14, 2026): 2 Kings 11

In 2023, CNN released a special documentary series titled "Giuliani: What Happened to America's Mayor," which examined the life and career of Rudy Giuliani, his ascent to power, and his demise during the Trump Years. Maybe the one line of the documentary that we all need to hear is that "power changes you." And the words don't just apply to Rudy, but to all of us. Maybe we all question why our politicians do what they do, and often we think that we would do things differently. We would work with politicians from different parties, so why can't they? We would reward good ideas wherever they might arise, so why can't they? And maybe the answer is the same for all of us. We really don't know what we would do because now we don't have the power, but then we would. And power changes us.

I am tempted to wonder about Athaliah's emotional state, or maybe her mental capacity, that she was willing to kill her grandchildren and anyone else who might be in the line of succession to the throne of Judah. As I read the story of Athaliah, I honestly can't imagine a grandmother who would be willing to kill her grandchildren so that she could be Queen. My grandchildren are precious treasures to me. All I want for any of them is the absolute best this life has to offer. Yet, that is precisely what Athaliah does. She kills anyone who might have reason to claim that she isn't the rightful Queen of Judah.

But the real reason why she is willing to do any of this is that power has the capacity to change us in a very fundamental way. Once we have had power of any kind, the human race seems to be willing to do anything to get it back. What was once unthinkable suddenly becomes not only thinkable but a logical response to the situation. We will do anything to keep the power that we have. The story of Queen Athaliah killing the members of the Royal Family, including her own children and grandchildren, and some of the seemingly incomprehensible actions of Rudy Giuliani have the same cause; they are a result of power changing us in ways that we could never imagine in the days when we lived without that power. The story of Athaliah, as well as the contemporary tale of Rudy Giuliani, is a cautionary tale of which we all need to be aware. Only if we remember these stories will we be able to safeguard ourselves from doing the unthinkable in our lives if we ever gain the kind of power that changes us.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 22

See also 2 Chronicles 22:10

 

When the letter arrived, these men took the princes and slaughtered all seventy of them. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu in Jezreel. – 2 Kings 10:7

Today’s Scripture Reading (March 13, 2026): 2 Kings 10

I admit that one of the historical mysteries that has captured my imagination is the fate of King Edward V of England and his brother, Prince Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York. When we use the title King Edward V, if we don’t know the story, we might get an image of a grizzled old King with a list of enemies he has built up throughout his reign. But Edward V reigned for two and a half months, and he was only twelve at the time. Yes, it was a different era, and twelve-year-old boys were closer to adults than they are today, but a twelve-year-old boy who has just lost his father, even in the 1400s, is still in a vulnerable position. Richard of Shrewsbury was only nine at the time of his disappearance.

We might know these boys better as the Princes in the Tower. The two boys disappeared into the Tower of London in July 1483, never to be seen again. The majority opinion is that Uncle Richard, the regent and protector of the boys, had them murdered soon after their disappearance so that he could become King Richard III. But the truth is that we don’t know. Bones were found while a stairway was being rebuilt in 1674, and it was assumed they belonged to two brothers. However, that understanding is far from certain, and animal bones were found mixed in with the human bones.

Some have wanted to believe that the boys lived, or at least that Edward survived the Tower. It is hard for us to understand how the protectors of the princes could have decided to kill them. It has been suggested that Edward made a life for himself in the rural Devon village of Coldridge, living under the name John Evans. Others have sought a different fate for the boys, out of a desire to prove that Richard III could not be the monster this story portrays him as. But the reality is that we just don’t know what happened to the boys. It still seems likely that they died in the Tower in July or maybe August 1483. However, we can’t say that with any certainty.

It was a different age. And it was a different age when Jehu sent a message to the leaders of Samaria regarding the seventy sons of King Ahab. This number would likely have included the sons of Ahab, as well as the grandsons and possibly even great-grandsons of the King; any male who could trace his lineage back to Ahab. So, there was also a wide age range among these male descendants; some, if not a majority, might have been boys.

For me, the hardest part of this story is that it was the men, leaders, who had raised and protected these men and boys who were left with the task of killing them. Yes, Ahab had been an evil king made even worse by his wife, Jezebel. His sons would probably have been just as evil; after all, they had learned their lessons in life from King Ahab. Yes, this was the societal expectation of the day. It is an interesting parallel that the King who demanded the grapes of Naboth be placed into baskets had the heads of his descendants placed in similar baskets. And some of those heads were likely young children.

Jehu would not be much better than Ahab. Even though he had been anointed to become King, chosen by God to replace Joram, the son of Ahab, he would not make the most of his opportunity. And maybe this beginning hinted at the evil Jehu would continue to do as he led from the throne of Ahab.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 2 Kings 11

Jehu got up and went into the house. Then the prophet poured the oil on Jehu's head and declared, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I anoint you king over the LORD's people Israel. – 2 Kings 10:12

Today's Scripture Reading (March 12, 2026): 2 Kings 9

What did you want to be when you grew up? I must admit that I wish I had a clearer idea of what I wanted to be when I was younger. I wish I had applied myself more in one area rather than scattering my time across several areas of interest. Sometimes I think I lived the bridge of Albert Hammond's hit song "Free Electric Band."

Well, they [mom and dad] used to sit and speculate upon their son's career
A lawyer or a doctor or a civil engineer
Just give me bread and water, put a guitar in my hand.
'Cause all I need is music and the Free Electric Band (Albert Hammond).

I think the only occupation I didn't consider was that of a civil engineer. But I gave serious thought to becoming a doctor or a lawyer, and of course, the dream was always the Free Electric Band.

David had been anointed as King over Israel while he was still a child. He didn't become King for a couple of decades, but he knew where he was going. He lived with the assurance that he would be King; he prepared himself for that moment, yet he was also able to wait for it; at no point did David feel he had to press the issue. David seemed to have an amazing trust that he would become King; God had already declared that. But he also trusted that he would become King at the time God had chosen, not at a time chosen by David. All of this gave David time to prepare to become king.

A young prophet is charged with the task of anointing Jehu as the next King of Israel. He is the only candidate for the highest office of the Northern Kingdom to be anointed as King. The prophet separates Jehu from his compatriots, then anoints him, giving the general a prophetic message about what comes next. But it doesn't happen right away. By doing it in private, he allows Jehu the time necessary to prepare for and assume the position without having to defend himself against King Jehoram's attacks, the son of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel.

Jehu would become King, but later. Until that moment, he would gather strength and prepare for the moment, without wondering if there was another path. But there was no doubt now in the mind of Jehu that he was not intended to become "a lawyer or a doctor or a civil engineer." Jehu's "Free Electric Band" had arrived; he would become King over the Northern Kingdom."

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Kings 10

Just as Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, the woman whose son Elisha had brought back to life came to appeal to the king for her house and land. Gehazi said, "This is the woman, my lord the king, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life." – 2 Kings 8:5

Today's Scripture Reading (March 11, 2026): 2 Kings 8

In the early days of planting a church, I was looking for a place where the new church could meet. One of the leaders of the church had a line on a small church that might be looking for a tenant. The small church was being underused by another local congregation in the area. As a result, I arranged to meet with the pastor who was in charge of the church building. This local pastor and his church board agreed to meet with my leadership and me one evening at the church property in question. We gathered outside the church's front door, waiting for the pastor to arrive.

As we waited, a man in jeans and a T-shirt arrived and joined the conversation. What we didn't realize at the time was that no one knew who this guy was. We both assumed that he was a part of the other delegation. Then the pastor arrived, and the two of them exchanged greetings, and we moved inside the church. The mysterious man who had joined us was the Director of Church Planting for the denomination that owned the building. The Director happened to be driving past the building, noticed a group of people, and decided to stop. He was an uninvited guest at that first meeting. He became a significant part of bringing the church plant into the denomination—just another serendipitous moment in what sometimes seems like a sea of spontaneous moments.

So much of life seems to be about timing. We meet significant people in our lives through an accident of timing. Unexpected moments change our lives, sometimes for the positive and sometimes for the negative. People waltz into our lives for a brief moment, but leave us changed in ways that we couldn't have predicted or planned. As I write these words, a pantheon of images comes to mind of people I met by chance who left me changed. And I am indebted to every one of them.

Gehazi was the servant of Elisha. For some reason that the story doesn't reveal, this servant has an opportunity to speak with the King. Not only is Gehazi able to speak to the king, but the king is asking Gehazi questions. "The king was talking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, and had said, 'Tell me about all the great things Elisha has done'" (2 Kings 8:4).

Gehazi answers by telling the story of Elisha resurrecting the Shunammite woman's son, just as this Shunammite woman is ushered into the king's presence. It was a serendipitous meeting in a couple of ways. First, Gehazi has firsthand testimony that the story he is telling the king actually happened. And second, the woman hopes the king will restore the land that was taken from her during her absence.

Both situations are transformed amazingly by a chance meeting with Gehazi, and that unexpected, God-ordained moment changes everything.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Kings 9

Personal Note: Happy Birthday, Dad.

It happened as the man of God had said to the king: “About this time tomorrow, a seah of the finest flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.” – 2 Kings 7:18

Today’s Scripture Reading (March 10, 2026): 2 Kings 7

In 1949, Germany was officially divided. Following World War II, Germany was divided into “zones of control” between the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and the Soviet Union. But in 1949, the division was made official. The areas controlled by the United States, the United Kingdom, and France became the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany), and the area controlled by the Soviet Union became the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). The deep political and ideological divide was symbolized in 1961 by the construction of the “Berlin Wall,” which divided the city into East and West Berlin.

By the time I became aware of East and West Berlin and Germany, all of these events were in the past. As a teenager, the Berlin Wall was simply a reality of life. It was as if it had always been that way. It was a part of the history that happened before I was born. I had a National Geographic Map of the World hanging in my bedroom, which displayed this political reality. Every once in a while, the idea of German reunification came up, usually in my Social Studies class. I couldn’t even imagine such a thing. There was no path I could imagine for Germany to be one country once again. The political divide, to my young mind, was just too wide.

I was watching from my home on the other side of the world on November 9, 1989, as the Berlin Wall came down. It was probably the only time in my life when I wished that I were in Germany. At that moment, I wanted to be one of the protestors standing at the wall, bringing it down. I was still in a state of amazement on October 3, 1990, as Germany was officially reunited. What I couldn’t have imagined a couple of years earlier had become a reality.

A man of God had come to the king to predict the price of food. The city of Samaria had been under siege, and food had become scarce. People were going hungry; most couldn’t afford either flour or barley. But the prophet had told the king that, in 24 hours, all of that would change. Within a single day, flour and barley would go from being unavailable to plentiful. The king and likely most of the officials in the city thought such an event was impossible to imagine. The implication was that in less than a day, the siege would be over, and not because Samaria had given in to their enemy, but because the enemy had disappeared.  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 2 Kings 8