Day 181

2 Kings 17:1–18:12; Acts 20:1-38; Psalm 148:1-14; Proverbs 18:6-7

AS WE CONCLUDE our sixth month (and reach the halfway point) in the Scriptures this year, we faced a very sad day in both the Old and New Testaments. In 2 Kings, the Assyrian Empire attacked Samaria, the capital city of Israel. It took three years, but eventually, Samaria fell and the northern kingdom of Israel was conquered.

The Scriptures tell us that the root of this tragedy was idolatry —the people had given their hearts in worship to something other than God. And although we don’t bow before physical idols, that doesn’t mean idolatry no longer exists. Anything we give our hearts to in worship that is not God —whether a car, a job, an accomplishment, a desire, a person, or even a fear —is idolatry.

God had sent every warning through His prophets. He had begged His people not to take this path, but they would not listen —and in today’s reading, Israel collapsed. The people were taken into exile, and from there, they disappeared. Ten of the tribes that we have been journeying with since Genesis were carried away, never to be formally seen again. These are now known as the lost tribes of Israel.

In Acts, we also encountered a melancholy story. The Holy Spirit had instructed Paul to go back to Jerusalem, which would be an incredibly dangerous mission. We’ve seen the ruckus and mayhem Paul stirred with the sharing of the gospel throughout his missionary journeys, but returning to Jerusalem would exponentially amplify the danger.

Paul sent word to the leaders of the Ephesian church so they could meet him when his ship docked in Miletus. They were all overjoyed to see one another, but Paul was bearing bittersweet news. He reminded them of why he had endured so much to bring the gospel to them, and he told them he was returning to Jerusalem because this was the Holy Spirit’s instruction. He didn’t know everything that would happen, but he had been told that chains and suffering were in front of him. Then he told them something very sad:

My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus —the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.

And now I know that none of you to whom I have preached the Kingdom will ever see me again. I declare today that I have been faithful.

As we approach the second half of the year, we do so without ten of the tribes of Israel and with certain imprisonment ahead for the apostle Paul. Thankfully, so much more is before us. But in this moment, we should remember that the gift of the Bible came to us because many people in many places sacrificed to get the story into our lives. God’s Word has endured much —both within its stories and within the history that brings us to today. May we continue to give it the reverence it deserves as we move into the second half of the year.

WORSHIP:

Praise the LORD from the heavens! Praise him from the skies! Praise him, all his angels! Praise him, all the armies of heaven! Praise him, sun and moon! Praise him, all you twinkling stars! Praise him, skies above! Praise him, vapors high above the clouds! Let every created thing give praise to the LORD, for he issued his command, and they came into being.