Day 185

2 Kings 23:31–25:30; Acts 22:17–23:10; Psalm 2:1-12; Proverbs 18:13

WE CANNOT IGNORE the significance of what is happening in both Old and New Testaments as we fully embrace the second half of the year. In today’s reading from 2 Kings, we read of the continued weakening of the kingdom of Judah and its eventual conquest by the Babylonians. Judah was taken into exile to Babylon, just as the northern kingdom of Israel had been exiled by the Assyrians. The repercussions of this exile cannot be overstated. The Babylonian conquest of Judah brought an end to the time that the children of Israel spent in the Promised Land under their own rule. A big piece of the story we began in Genesis 11, with Abraham, ended today. Of course, this will not be the end of the tribe of Judah, nor will it be the last time Hebrews will be in the Promised Land. But when Jerusalem fell to Babylon, the city was destroyed, including Solomon’s Temple. The people were displaced altogether, and nothing would be the same again.

In Acts, Paul continued to speak to the hushed crowd that had nearly killed him in Jerusalem. They listened intently to his testimony about Jesus, but when he brought up his mission to reach the Gentiles, they erupted again, forcing the Roman soldiers to pull him to safety.

The next day, Paul was brought before the Jewish high council so they could articulate to the Romans exactly what their problem was with Paul. The high council consisted of Pharisees and Sadducees —two factions of the Hebrew faith who often found themselves at odds with one another over theological interpretations. Paul, a trained Pharisee, called to his own: “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, as were my ancestors! And I am on trial because my hope is in the resurrection of the dead!” (Acts 23:6). This divided the council and caused enough mayhem that the Romans had to rescue Paul once again.

Let’s note that during his first twenty-four hours of captivity, the Romans protected Paul as he shared the gospel with an angry mob and again protected him as he spoke to the most influential religious leaders in Judaism (including the high priest). Paul’s arrest gave him armed guards while he shared the Good News with people who would have killed him had he been alone.

Our reading from Proverbs offered one small sentence with giant implications: “Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish” (Proverbs 18:13).

The point of today’s proverb is simple and straightforward: Listen closely before you open your mouth to speak! We have all spoken prematurely or offered advice without first listening. Such behavior is counterproductive —it makes the people with whom we are speaking feel worse (because they haven’t been heard), and it makes us appear self-absorbed and detached. The next time a friend seeks your counsel, keep the wisdom of Proverbs 18:13 in mind so your conversation is mutually beneficial.

MEDITATION:

Now then, you kings, act wisely! Be warned, you rulers of the earth! Serve the LORD with reverent fear, and rejoice with trembling.