Saul Reads the Bible

Scripture Readings:

Old Testament: 1 Kings 18:1-18:40
Poetry/Prophecy: Ezekiel 17:1-17:24
New Testament: Ephesians 3:1-3:21

In 1 Kings, Elijah and the 450 priests of Baal have a showdown to determine whose god is really God. Spoiler alert: God sends down fire; Baal does not.

In Ezekiel, a complicated metaphor involving eagles, branches, and good soil is given to illustrate the exile of the [...]

Scripture Readings:

Old Testament: 1 Kings 17:1-17:24
Poetry/Prophecy: Ezekiel 16:48-16:63
New Testament: Ephesians 1:1-2:22

In 1 Kings, Elijah tells King Ahab that there will be no rain in the land until further notice. Elijah then goes into hiding, and eventually finds a woman to take care of him. In time, she comes to recognize him for the prophet he is, [...]

Scripture Readings:

Old Testament: 1 Kings 16:1-16:34
Poetry/Prophecy: Ezekiel 16:23-16:47
New Testament: Galatians 6:1-6:18

In 1 Kings, we read about the reigns in Judah of Abijah (not to be confused with the deceased son of Jeroboam, king of Israel), who was a bad king, and Asa, who was a good king. Asa uses a bribe (or tribute payment, depending on your [...]

Scripture Readings:

Old Testament: 1 Kings 15:1-15:34
Poetry/Prophecy: Ezekiel 15:1-16:22
New Testament: Galatians 5:1-5:26

In 1 Kings, we read about the reigns in Judah of Abijah (not to be confused with the deceased son of Jeroboam, king of Israel), who was a bad king, and Asa, who was a good king. Asa uses a bribe (or tribute payment, depending on your [...]

Scripture Readings:

Old Testament: 1 Kings 14:1-14:31
Poetry/Prophecy: Ezekiel 14:1-14:23
New Testament: Galatians 4:19-4:31

In 1 Kings, Jeroboam’s wife goes to consult God’s prophet Ahijah about the fate of her son Abijah, who has become ill. God’s message for her is not favorable: Not only will Abijah die, but all of Jeroboam’s relatives will meet tragic ends because of Jeroboam’s unfaithfulness. [...]

Scripture Readings:

Old Testament: 1 Kings 13:1-13:34
Poetry/Prophecy: Ezekiel 13:1-13:23
New Testament: Galatians 4:1-4:18

In 1 Kings, God sends a prophet from Judah to warn Jeroboam form his wayward path. Even after seeing this prophet’s powerful signs (a prophet who himself ends up killed for disobeying God’s orders), Jeroboam continues on his path toward destruction, creating high places at his own [...]

Scripture Readings:

Old Testament: 1 Kings 12:1-12:33
Poetry/Prophecy: Ezekiel 12:1-12:28
New Testament: Galatians 3:15-3:29

In 1 Kings, Solomon’s son Rehoboam refuses to honor the people’s request to demand less from them than his father. As a resut, 10 tribes of Israel abandon Rehoboam and make Jeroboam their king. Jeroboam, fearing that the loyalty of his new subjects might revert to [...]

Scripture Readings:

Old Testament: 1 Kings 11:4-11:43
Poetry/Prophecy: Ezekiel 11:1-11:25
New Testament: Galatians 3:1-3:14

In 1 Kings, Solomon builds altars to foreign gods to please his foreign wives. God is not amused. Solomon is told that 10 of the tribes of Israel will be taken away from his son after his death and given to the son of one of [...]

Scripture Readings:

Old Testament: 1 Kings 10:1-11:3
Poetry/Prophecy: Ezekiel 10:1-10:22
New Testament: Galatians 2:1-2:21

Today in 1 Kings, Solomon receives a visit from the queen of Sheba, who is duly impressed by Solomon’s wisdom and wealth. We hear more details about Solomon’s wealth: there are household items made of gold (since silver doesn’t even qualify as precious in a time of [...]

Scripture Readings:

Old Testament: 1 Kings 8:54-9:28
Poetry/Prophecy: Ezekiel 9:1-9:11
New Testament: Galatians 1:1-1:24

In 1 Kings, Solomon and the people of Israel offer sacrifices to God and hold a 2-week long festival. God again appears to Solomon, promising to keep Solomon’s dynasty alive as long as his descendants remain faithful to God. A disagreement with King Hiram of Tyre [...]