Who was the greatest king?

Question: Good day, brother Jeffrey! About Hezekiah, we read in IIĀ Kings 18:5-6: Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to the LORD and did not cease to follow him; he kept the…

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Is God Responsible for Ahab Doing Wrong?

by Tommy Peeler Is God responsible for Ahab doing the wrong thing? Ahab is ready to go to war without inquiring of God (I Kings 22:4-5). When 400 prophets tell him that he will take Ramoth-Gilead, Ahab is content, but Jehoshaphat wants to inquire of a prophet of the LORD (I Kings 22:6-7). Ahab does…

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God Is in the Small Stuff

by Rhonda Smart I am always delighted when I come across stories in the Bible that at first glance may seem insignificant but upon a deeper dive, I realize they serve as one more way for God to show just how much he loves us. Even though He has a universe to run, God is…

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Chariots of Fire

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Chariots-of-Fire.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Kings 6:8-23   I.         Ben-hadad, king of Syria, caused much grief for the northern kingdom of Israel             A.        He made many raids into Israel, but he soon ran into problems             B.        While his strategies were planned in top-secret, the king of Israel always seemed to know them in advance and had…

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Elisha’s She Bears

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Elishas-She-Bears.mp3 by Ralph Walker Did the prophet really unleash two bears to kill a host of little boys? For making fun of his baldness? How sensitive can a prophet be? Preaching the Bloody Bible

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Because of the Sins of Jeroboam

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Because-of-the-Sins-of-Jeroboam.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 5:13-16   I.         Few credit the influence we have on the lives of those around us.             A.        The things we do and say impact the lives of those we come in contact.             B.        Sometimes our influence spreads to people we may not have seen. II.        The example of Jeroboam             A.        Following the death…

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What was the name of the son of the Shunammite?

Question: What was the boy’s name in II Kings who died and then sneezed seven times? Answer: The Shunammite woman is mentioned in II Kings 4:8-37 and II Kings 8:1-6 and she is never referred to by name, nor is the name of her husband or son given. It really isn’t important to the stories…

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Who wrote II Kings?

Question: Who wrote II Kings? Answer: I Samuel, II Samuel, I Kings, and II Kings are actually one long book that became divided into four parts. Scrolls can only hold so much before they become unwieldy. The books are thought to be the work of a series of prophets. Such makes the most sense since…

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Did Elisha strike the water once or twice?

Question: In II Kings 2:14, do you believe Elisha strikes the water twice with the mantle of Elijah or just once? Answer: “Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, “Where is the LORD God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the water,…

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Did Asa and Jehoshaphat’s reigns overlap in Judah?

Question: From the dates I can find, King Asa and Jehoshaphat overlapped in their reigns as kings. 873 – 870. Is that correct? And why the overlap? Also, when Elijah was fleeing from Jezebel and went to Judah do we know for sure which king was reigning over Judah (Asa or Jehoshaphat). Answer: Asa is…

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The Mesha Stele

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton In 1868, a stone monument was found at the ancient site of Dibon, once the capital of Moab. The site is currently located in the modern country of Jordan. The black basalt stele is a record of King Mesha of Moab recounting his rebellion against Israel. “Now Mesha king of Moab…

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