Author: Paul Harmon

Day 404: Ezra 1             1-4: The first 4 verses of Ezra repeat the last 2 verses of 2 Chronicles with the added information that Cyrus’ decree also charges the neighbors of whoever wants to return to Judah with providing financial assistance for the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem.             5-11: Many of the… Continue reading Ezra (Day 404-413)

2 Chronicles 1 (Day 368)             1: Solomon’s reign begins. God is with him and he prospers.             2-6: He assembles the leaders of the nation at Gibeon where the tabernacle is located. Remarkably, even the altar that Bezalel had made in the time of Moses is still in use, but the ark of the… Continue reading 2 Chronicles (Day 368-403)

Day 339: 1 Chronicles 1             Some notes before you begin:             Scholars generally agree that the Chronicles were compiled later than Samuel and Kings. Although in Chronicles we retrace much of the history we have already read in the earlier books, there are significant differences which we will encounter throughout. These two books are… Continue reading 1 Chronicles (Day 339-367)

Day 314: 2 Kings 1 (for 11/10/10             1: The chapter begins by telling us that Ahab’s death results in Moab’s rebellion. Apparently Moab is controlled by Israel during Ahab’s reign.             2-4: Now we return to the account of Ahaziah’s rule. He rules only two years over Israel, then has an accident, falling through… Continue reading 2 Kings (Day 314-338)

Day 292: 1 Kings 1             1-4: When we left 2 Samuel David did not seem to be slowing down with age, but now we have moved rather suddenly to find David as an old man who is always cold. So they provide a young girl to take care of him; day and night of… Continue reading 1 Kings (day 292-313)

Day 268: 2 Samuel 1             1-10: At Ziklag David receives word that Saul and Jonathan are dead. The messenger who brings the news claims to have killed Saul himself as an act of mercy. We know that is not what happened, but then the man produces Saul’s crown and armlet, so he must have… Continue reading 2 Samuel (day 268-291)

Day 237: 1 Samuel 1             1-2: We meet Elkanah and his wives, Hannah and Peninnah. Hannah is barren. We have seen this scenario many times: God chooses a barren woman through whom to bring into the world some character the world just could not do without. Hannah is in a long and honorable line,… Continue reading 1 Samuel (day 237-267)

          Day 233: Ruth 1             1-5: We are taken back to the time of judges. The setting is once again Bethlehem, but this time the story will be easier to read. A famine causes economic hardship, and a man named Elimelech immigrates to Moab with his wife Naomi and their two boys, Mahlon and… Continue reading Ruth (Day 233-236)

Day 212: Judges 1             1-7: Judges takes up where Joshua left off (but the death of Joshua will be reported again in chapter 2). However, Judges relies on different source material, and there will be a number of scenes presented a bit differently from what we have previously seen. We are told that after… Continue reading Judges (day 212-232)

Day 188: Joshua 1 — July 7             1-9: God speaks directly to Joshua, as with Moses before him, but this will turn out more and more to be a rare phenomenon. In any case it is remembered here that, as far as Joshua is concerned, the gift of the land includes everything from the… Continue reading Joshua (Day 188-211)