Scripture for inspiration and encouragement!

 When your faith struggles to keep believing, turn to Scripture for inspiration and encouragement!

Loss of a job, health problems, and death happen, and we are left wondering where God is and why this happened. 

Christians find their security and hope in God as revealed in Jesus Christ.

faith is the belief, trust, and loyalty to a person

God tells us that we will have troubles in this world and face some unknown, challenging times.

He also promises that we have victory through our faith because Jesus Christ has overcome the world. 

If you are facing hard and uncertain times, you can be encouraged to press on, knowing that you are an overcomer! 

Faith Scriptures to Lift Your Spirit and to share with others questioning God's goodness.

We see the invisible God and know the Author of Life is in His Word. 

Isaiah 41:10

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Hebrews 11:6

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Father God, my strength is gone. I am unable—but your Word says I can do all thing through Christ who strengthens me. Give me Your strength, not physical strength but the power to move mountains that flows from faith in Jesus. Help me to depend on You to do what I think I cannot do. Let your strength alone sustain me.

Psalm 46:10

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

Father God in heaven , let my prayers  bring glory to Your Holy Name on earth as in heaven. Amen. 

Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. ~ Matthew 21:21

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. ~ Romans 10:17

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. ~ Hebrews 11:6

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. ~ Hebrews 11:1

And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. ~ Mark 11:22-24

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. ~ Proverbs 3:5-6

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. ~ Hebrews 11:6

The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults*, and with my song I give thanks to him. ~ Psalm 28:7

(*The meaning of EXULT is to be extremely joyful : rejoice.)

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound* in hope. ~ Romans 15:13

(* abound means to exist in large numbers)

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted* among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” ~ Psalm 46:10

(* exalted:  adjective of high moral or intellectual value; elevated in nature or style "an exalted ideal" Synonyms: elevated , grand , high-flown , high-minded , idealistic , lofty , noble-minded , rarefied , rarified , sublime noble having or showing or indicative of high or elevated character )

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead ~ 1 Peter 1:3

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. ~ Ephesians 4:29

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. ~ Jeremiah 29:11

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. ~ Hebrews 10:24-25

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. ~ James 1:5

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. ~ Isaiah 41:10

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. ~ Philippians 4:6-8

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ~ Romans 8:31

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. ~ Romans 8:18

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. ~ Jeremiah 29:11

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. ~ Romans 12:12

But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. ~ Isaiah 40:31

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. ~ Romans 15:4

For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. ~ Romans 8:24-25

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14:6

Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. ~ 2 Peter 1:20-21

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. ~ John 16:13

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. ~ 1 John 4:1

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. ~ 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Matthew chapter 7 is a chapter that overflows with nuggets of wisdom and understanding about how to view your relationship with God. Many quote verses from this chapter, especially the most popular verse from Matthew 7:7 of asking, seeking, and knocking to find out what God has planned for you.

But Matthew 7:13-14 paints a clear picture of what it means to live a godly life, one that is not always easy and not always a favorite among those around you. Matthew 7:13-14 depicts two separate gates, one narrow and one wide, that have different outcomes for those who venture through them:

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

But what could be meant by these gates? What happens to those who go through them, and how does the metaphor apply to our lives now?

Just as with all of Jesus’s parables and words of spiritual wisdom, there is more than meets the eye at first glance. But, with some thought, a wealth of understanding will come forth when one applies this truth to their lives.

What Is the Context of Matthew 7?

The book of Matthew is the first book of the four Gospels to appear in the Bible. It shares firsthand accounts of Jesus’s sermons, miracles, and regular interactions with the disciples and believers, as well as those against Him. The book was written by the apostle Matthew, and remember that the inspiration behind this writing is from God. 

Hear the good news 

The words within Matthew 7 are part of a well-known sermon Jesus was sharing with His disciples, along with a multitude of people following Him: The Sermon on the Mount. The Beatitudes were shared in this sermon, as well as the discussions about being salt and light, loving your enemies, how best to pray and fast, and building your house on rock instead of sand (foundation on God and His Word) (Matt. 5-7).

As always, everyone listening to the Sermon on the Mount was impacted, from His faithful disciples who had heard many of His teachings to the newer believers who were learning of His guidance for the first time that day. Yet all were equally inspired by His words from God, knowing this was truly the way to live their lives pleasing to the Lord.

What Are the Gates That This Verse Describes?

Matthew 7:13-14 is found toward the end of Matthew’s account of the Sermon on the Mount, after Jesus reminded the listening crowd to believe God would bless them immensely just as a human father lovingly blesses his son.

The gates reflect the understanding that one gate is leads to self-destruction from our own hands, while the other gate is a life directed by God and leading to everlasting life. Jesus described the gate of destruction as “wide” and the way “broad,” meaning that it represents several ways to live our lives for ourselves, believing our efforts will be enough to have good lives and get into heaven.

He then stated that the narrow gate was “difficult” and that few would go through it, while many travel through the wide gate of destruction. This reflects the clear differences between the two ways of living life on this earth.

Why Is the Path to Destruction Wide, and the Path to Life Narrow?

The paths are different not just in size, but in reasons for why they are this way. The path to destruction is seen as wide because in our fallen world, sin is plentiful and can be found everywhere. We are encouraged, at times, to focus on ourselves rather than others and that greed, pride, and power are all worthy attributes to have. Many will go through this gate because it is easy, enticing, and fulfills all their needs and wants, even if temporarily.

The gate of life is narrow because, as Jesus said, few will go through it. The gate of life is the gate to salvation, of surrendering one’s life to God and following a path that can be challenging but rewarding at times. You will grow more spiritually while on this path, and realize that the world (offered through the wide gate) doesn’t have as much to offer you as the narrow gate does.

Luke 13:24 also sheds insight into the narrow gate metaphor. As Jesus stated, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” What Jesus referred to here is that salvation has only one way through, and that is believing Jesus died and was resurrected to save us from our sins and reunite us with the Lord. Many will try to enter it through their own works, but only accepting Jesus into our hearts will open the gate.

Why Do Only a Few Follow the Path to Life?

Many people will think they can get to heaven on their own good efforts, or because they do what God wants without inviting Him into their lives. But Jesus makes it clear in these verses that following the true discipleship of Jesus Christ lifestyle is not one that is easy or one that uses our good works to get there.

The path of salvation, the path of surrendering and trusting God’s will, is not easy and will test our faith, our beliefs, and our awareness of God and the world. It will be tedious to walk this path, made more difficult when we experience delays, losses, and disappointments as others experience blessings we feel we should have too.

But the few followers who choose to follow the path of life will have peace on the path they are on, knowing they are walking in tandem with the heavenly Father, following the footsteps of the Savior, and guided by the promptings of the Holy Spirit. As many as are led by His Spirit, they are sons of God. King James Bible, Romans 8:14, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. "

What Does This Verse Mean for Us Today?

Matthew 7:13-14 reminds us today that as we go through difficult times, in anticipation of Jesus’s return, the gate of destruction will become more alluring than the challenging gate to life. 

However, as easy as the gate of destruction might be, and no matter how many you know (and love) who are going through that gate, the gate leading to God is the one that will bring the most peace, the most grace, and the most rewards, both while on earth and in our heavenly home.

So today, when it seems it is better to leave God out of your decisions for the day or think that the way He is leading you is not exactly the best way, make the step toward trusting Him and seeing how He can lead you through the narrow gate with the least amount of difficulty. You might find you are getting through the struggles of your day with unexpected blessings in the process.

Jesus Is Worth More

Matthew 7 is a goldmine of valuable wisdom to use in our daily lives, especially Matthew 7:13-14. These verses remind us that the choice of which gate to enter could change the trajectory of our lives forever.

Jesus shared, in the Sermon of Mount, that the gate of destruction is wide and easy but dangerous, while the gate of life is narrow and difficult but rewarding on so many levels. Though we may know many going through the gate of destruction, and having a blast while doing it, the end result is that God will not be by their side on their journeys as much as He will for those who chose the narrow gate.

Though living the Christian life can have its challenges and its blessings, the knowledge that Jesus died so we could have God with us is more than anything this world can offer. 

You Trying to Do Too Much?

Jugglers make it look so easy. They start with three balls in the air, and we think, yeah, I could do that as our hands start making juggling motions.

Then they smile and start the creep upwards: four balls, five balls, seven, eight, nine balls… laughing, joking… it’s SO EASY! First it’s tennis balls, eventually it’s bowling balls, machete swords and flaming batons! We’re mesmerized, because we all know one wrong move and these experts are going to be in serious trouble. By the end, we are praying for their safety and moving a bit farther away in case it all comes crashing down.

In life, we are often like these performers; we have so many balls in the air. We suffer physically and emotionally from the stress of it, because we are juggling things much more difficult and precious: our marriages, kids, careers, church service and spiritual growth – a list that seems to grow with each passing year.

 We juggle:

Our relationship with our spouse – Date night, communication, child rearing, intimacy, working through arguments.

The needs of our children – Ball games, cheerleading practice, doctor’s visits, dentist’s appointments, play dates, transportation service.

The upkeep demands of a household – Dishes, laundry, yard work, groceries, pipe leaks, appliance repairs.

The demands of work – Deadlines, budgets, quarterly and annual goals, co-workers, staff meetings, overtime. 

Finances – Utility bills, medical bills, monthly subscriptions, popular sneakers, latest fashions, newest Xbox, fastest laptops and smartest iPhones, mortgage payments, car payments, college tuition, retirement planning, vacations.

Church attendance and service – Weekend services, small groups, weeknight Bible study, volunteering at outreaches and special events. And of course, our relationship with God!

When we have too many balls in the air, we can become physically drained, anxious, depressed and spiritually dry. We fear it’s just a matter of time before we get crushed by a falling bowling ball, nicked by a wayward machete, or burned to a crisp by a flaming baton. Juggling is not as easy as it looks.

Unfortunately, we can’t avoid these things that place demands on our time, money and energy; it’s just a part of modern life. Our only choice is to get better and learn the best way to handle our responsibilities. Thankfully God has given us the keys in His Word to become experts.

Martha, the “Not So Good” Juggler

As the story in Luke 10:38-42 goes, Jesus and His disciples had decided to stop in for a visit at Mary and Martha’s house. The large group sent Martha into a frenzy trying to get everything prepared for lunch. The impression I get of her is of a first-century Martha Stewart, possibly frantically weaving fresh lavender into placemats woven from yak hair, while baking garlic bread and stuffing a salmon with fresh herbs and cheese, all while her sister Mary sat and listened as Jesus was teaching in the living room.

All of a sudden Martha snapped, and blew up at both Jesus and her sister:

“Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself! Tell her to help me!” (Luke 10:40).

What caused her meltdown?

We aren’t told, but I doubt it was the dirty pots building up, disciples requesting drink refills, or her sister abandoning the kitchen to sit at the feet of Jesus.

I don’t think it was any of those things, but rather it was all of those things together! I imagine Martha was juggling all the balls she possibly could, but when she tripped over a backpack and dropped her special fig and date appetizer, she simply came unglued.

Of course I’m joking, but whatever the real reason was, serving lunch to Jesus and the disciples should have been a joyful experience for her. But when she took on too much, it became one more burden to bear, and negatively affected her experience. 

Unfortunately, we are often like Martha, trying to do too much, and in the process becoming ineffective in handling the demands of life. How do we know if we are taking on too much? Look at the signs of struggle that Martha demonstrated, and check to see if those same signs appear in our lives, before it all comes crashing down!

1. Do You Blame Others for Your Frustration and Problems?

Lord, the reason why I’m struggling with all this right now is because of Mary. If she would only help me cook and refill drinks, instead of sitting and doing nothing, I wouldn’t be so frantic right now.

It’s Mary’s fault.

Do you find yourself blaming others for the circumstances in your life, the sorry state of your finances, or a marriage headed for the rocks? If you do, there is a good chance that you are struggling with too much.

2. Do You Feel Resentment While Serving Others?

Do you picture a smile on Martha’s face as she is serving the crowd her special appetizers on lavender woven place mats?

Or do you imagine her pursing her lips, slamming drawers, and glaring at her sister as if to say, how come I’m the one stuck serving, while you are having a grand old time with everyone?

Here, Martha has been given the rare opportunity to serve Christ using her best gifts and talents. But oddly, instead of serving with joy, she resents the fact that she has to do it. It’s a clear sign of the physical and mental exhaustion we experience from trying to do too much.

How about you? Do find yourself resenting the fact that God has tapped you on the shoulder and asked you to serve Him by serving with your gifts and talents in His church?

Do you look around and say, why am I stuck doing this week after week while other people just come, sit and enjoy the worship service?

Personally, I’d rather have a church full of “Marthas” than a church full of “Marys.” If all Christians ever wanted to do was sit in church and hear the messages, then how would anything get done? We would have an ineffective Church. We’d have a Church that is set on being hearers of the Word only, and the result would be that the Church would become insignificant, irrelevant and unimpactful in the world in which we live.

Serving Christ is a blessing, but when it becomes a burden that causes us to be resentful, it is strong evidence that we are struggling with doing too much.

3. Are You Experiencing Self-pity?

“Lord don’t you care?” was Martha having a pity party.

Lord, can I get some sympathy here? Will someone please notice what I’m going through? Don’t you all see that I’m drowning here? Can’t you see all these balls I’m trying to keep in the air?!

How about someone looks up from their dinner plate and acknowledges me? How about a compliment? How about a little gratitude?

Pity parties are a classic sign that we are struggling with overload. It’s like a warning light on your car’s dashboard that something needs to change fast.

4. Are You Becoming Angry at God?

Did you notice that even though Martha’s frustration was targeted at Mary, her anger was directed toward Jesus. Look at it again,

"Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" (Luke 10:40).

Her angry comment contained more than a request for intervention. It was also an accusation.

Jesus, I expected more from You. You have the power to do anything, but You just sit there witnessing it all and do nothing about it.  Well, that makes me angry.

Has anybody ever been there before? I know I have. Years ago, as our ministry was experiencing significant growing pains, I wrote the following in my journal:

“God, I’m overwhelmed and for the first time in my life I’m angry with You. … I know You can change it, You can do a miracle, but it doesn’t seem like You are doing anything about it, and I guess that’s why I’m angry with You. No, I haven’t prayed like I should, and obeyed like I should, but I’m tired! I’ve confessed, I’ve prayed, I’ve stepped out in faith and nothing! When are things going to turn around?”

I was struggling with overload, and needed to learn a better way. There is no shame in that; the shame is in not recognizing it or choosing to act differently.

Notice how Jesus responded to Martha:

"’Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her’" (Luke 10:42).

Martha…Mary chose better priorities.

What we struggle with is usually a result of how we have chosen in the past, which means we can learn to choose better, too.

Share the Burden

Although Martha’s attitude was wrong and her priorities out of order, she hit on an important key: Martha asked for help.

She looked at all the balls she had in the air and realized, in order to keep them all going, I need some help.

There are some burdens in life that need to be shared. Remember Jethro’s admonition toward Moses:

“Moses' father-in-law replied, ‘What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone’” (Exodus 18:17-18).

Moses was God’s man, His choice. But Moses still needed Jethro to tell him that in order to be effective with so much responsibility, he must realize that some burdens need to be shared.

We all love to be in control, and often pridefully believe that no one can do as good of a job as we can. We might overestimate our own importance, or even believe that busyness is akin to godliness.

But the reality is this: you can’t juggle all the balls you have in the air all by yourself. So train that assistant, recruit that team, teach that teenager. Loosen your grip on control and realize that you need to share the burden to be effective.

Stop and Reprioritize

Apparently, Martha was not content with just preparing lunch; she was intent on making sure every smallest detail was taken care of, even things no one else would notice.

We could celebrate that trait as a good thing, but when it becomes excessive and knocks our relationship with Christ out of priority, it indicates we are doing too much. But what should you stop? It depends.

How would you answer the following: If only I had more time, I would…

What you answer usually represents the things that are most important in your life, and should be given a higher priority.

Surrender Your Time to God

Above all else, we must prioritize spending time with Christ. Which means, like Mary, we must choose Him first and foremost, above all other things.

We need to make our daily devotional time, prayer and praise, our first priority.

 When we do, God helps us with his wisdom and lovingly and expertly attend to all our other daily responsibilities.

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

Notice this promise is conditioned on one action on our part – to come to Christ and spend time with Him. 

As a result, He will lighten our load, and lead us expertly through life. 

In short, when we surrender our time to Him first, He will help us choose which balls to juggle, which ones to share, and which ones to put down. 

Eventually, like the circus juggler, we will be able to say, look… it’s SO EASY! 

Adam and Eve's Children? Who? Study here

Originally, the book of 2 Kings was part of 1 Kings. It’s a story about God keeping His promises to provide kingship, but it also shows the failure of human kings. 1 Kings, especially the first half, is a bit more positive. 2 Kings, while filled with action, shows the failure of all human kings. It ends with the Israelites in exile, their kingdom seemingly destroyed. Can it be rebuilt? 

It's an intriguing story, but one which ultimately points to King Jesus. How do we find the gospel in 2 Kings? 

How Do You Find the Gospel in the Old Testament? 

 Before understanding how to find the gospel in the Old Testament, it’d be helpful for us to define the gospel.

 The simplest definition is : God saves sinners. 

If you’d like to put a bit more meat on your gospel presentation, I use two different frameworks with four points each. 

The first is God—Man—Christ—Response. 

The second is more of a story: Creation—Fall—Redemption—Glory. 

The first presentation centers upon God’s character and how humanity fails to meet God’s holy standard, as such the judgment of God is upon us. 

But the good news is that Jesus Christ fixes this by fulfilling what is required of God through his life, death and resurrection. 

Our only fitting response, then, is to respond to Him in repentance and faith. When this happens, we are united to Christ and his record becomes our record. 

The second presentation centers upon the overarching story of the Bible. 

God lovingly created us to love Him and enjoy Him forever. 

We were made for rest, rule, and relationship. 

But we made shipwreck of this, and so rather than having the blessings of obedience we are under the curse of disobedience. 

Rather than having peace (rest), purpose (ruling), and healthy relationship with God, we often experience the opposite.

 Ultimately, we are alienated from God.

 But thankfully God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to bear our curse and to fulfill what God intended for humanity. 

As such we now experience the blessings of Jesus’ obedience in our place. 

He restores the rest, rule, and relationship we were created to enjoy.

 Someday everything will be ultimately restored and we will live in a new heaven and a new earth. 

Every gospel story follows this basic skeleton. 

No matter where you find yourself in the Old Testament (or the New Testament) you can find one of these various threads. 

Every place in Scripture is either telling you something about God, something about our rebellion, something about His rescue, or something about our future restoration. 

If you can spot this, then you can fill out the rest of the story. 

How Do We Find the Gospel in 2 Kings? 

As mentioned earlier, 2 Kings is really one book that is part of a larger story. Originally, 1 Kings and 2 Kings was one unified book. These were set within a larger story known as The Former Prophets (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings). It is a story of God making big promises to his people and then fulfilling those promises. A key verse is 1 Kings 8:56 when Solomon declared: 

“Blessed be the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant.”

One of the major themes of the book, then, is that God keeps His promises. But there is another thread which runs through this story — that of human failure. 2 Kings ends with the people carried off into exile. Humanity cannot bring about God’s kingdom.  

You don’t have to journey long into 2 Kings to see the recurring themes surrounding human failure. But we also see some of the cycle of redemption. King Josiah was a good king. And through his leadership there was great reform as the people rediscovered the importance of God’s law. Yet, even Josiah ended with a foolish decision to take matters into his own hands. 

The people repeatedly turn away from God, embrace idolatry and wickedness, and become just like the nations around them – rather than being a light to the nations. As mentioned in 1 Kings, this story is really a retelling of the Garden of Eden story. It starts with God blessing humanity, giving them a home, and then it ends with them exiled. The story of Kings does the same thing.  

There is a repeating cycle throughout 1 and 2 Kings. God is gracious, the people rebel, they experience God’s judgment, they repent, God restores, the people return to rebellion and the cycle continues. Each time, though, it seems as if the level of wickedness deepens. And with increasing depravity comes sharper judgment. 

In this book, the kings are measured by whether or not they repented and sought after the Lord. When they did, their kingdom prospered. When they rebelled, the people suffered. But so many of the kings are not concerned with the people. Even their own “repentance” is often narrowed to how it will impact them personally. Judgment doesn’t get their attention until it hits their own doorstep. 

Yet woven through all of this rebellion is a story of hope. It’s a picture of God’s faithfulness even in the midst of unfaithfulness. Yes, the story “ends” in exile. But even here we find that the story ends with Jehoiachin released from Babylonian prison (2 Kings 25:27-30). Can they rebuild? Will a deliverer still come to them? Is there a King worthy to take up the throne? 

Where Is the Gospel in the Reign of King Ahaz?

2 Kings doesn’t have many places where one can draw an easy line from the narrative to the gospel of Christ. The prophet Elisha, as well as King Josiah and King Hezekiah (at least in part), are rare bright spots in a parade of wickedness. So, it might be difficult to see how many of these passages can point to Christ. One particular place which might prove difficult is the reign of Ahaz. Where is Jesus in that story? 

The story of Ahaz is found in 2 Kings 16. He took the throne at a young age and reigned for sixteen years. This should have provided stability. But we are told that he “did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD his God…but he walked in the way of the kings of Israel” (2 Kings 16:2-3). 

What is a king supposed to do? First and foremost, good kings are supposed to point people to the One true God. They are to give proper honor to YHWH. Furthermore, a good king will work for the flourishing of those in his charge. In this way, he is imaging God. 

To be under a good king is to thrive. But evil and wicked kings are consuming. They certainly do not point to the Lord. The reign of an evil king usually culminates in itself. His exaltation and thriving is the goal. We see this in the story of Ahaz. His son, the one most directly and obviously under his care, is burned in an offering to a pagan god. Rather than worshipping God, Ahaz was proficient in idolatry. He worshipped false gods “under every green tree.” 

Ahaz was so enamored with the Assyrians that he attempted to model their worship. He tried turning the temple dedicated to YHWH into a temple just like what he saw in Assyria. Why did he do all of this? Isaiah the prophet tells us a little more. In Isaiah 7, the prophet goes to Ahaz to tell him not to be afraid of the armies of Syria and Israel. God told him, 

“Be careful, be quiet, do not fear, and do not let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stumps of firebrands…” (Isaiah 7:4). 

But Ahaz didn’t listen. He went to Assyria for help instead of trusting in the LORD. He tried to feign reverence (Isaiah 7:12) but ultimately it was clear that his trust was in the human power of Assyria instead of the LORD. So, what did God do as a result? He told Ahaz that he would give to him the sign of Immanuel. 

“Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” 

Does that sound familiar? 

It is what Matthew would later use to point to the virgin birth of Jesus. Yes, it was likely referring to a virgin in the king’s harem originally. The sign though, showed the sovereignty and power of God to accomplish his purposes. And as the story unfolds, we see that he does it through weakness and not through human power. He will finally and fully provide redemption for humanity through a baby, born to a virgin, wrapped in swaddling cloth in a manger. 

God accomplishes what human power cannot. Therefore, the message from King Ahaz is to show the foolishness of trusting in ourselves. Ahaz wanted protection for himself — and perhaps even protection for the people. But he sought it through his own efforts. He tried getting the promises of the Garden without having a relationship with the God of the Garden. And, as it always does, it came up empty. Assyria was only playing him. This would lead to their destruction.

But the story of Ahaz also shows God’s mercy and grace. It shows how He graciously communicates with humanity and calls them to repentance. And it also shows how He, even through weakness, will come in power. It would be through this “virgin birth” that the King of kings and the Lord of lords would come. He is the king we need.

The bride of Christ Jesus sing : 

All hail King Jesus Christ

All hail Emmanuel

King of kings

Lord of lords

Bright Morning Star

And throughout eternity

I'll sing Your praises

And I'll reign with You throughout eternity