100923 2 Kings 3

2  Kings 3
3.2  though not like his father...  Unless this had political ramifications that are mostly unrelated to spiritual things, it is unclear to me what might have motivated Jehoram to get rid of the Baals and not the bulls that Jeroboam set up.  Normally it would seem to show some spiritual softening, but he "sill clung to the sin of Jeroboam.
3.11  poured water on the hands of Elijah...  We should probably understand this as a cultural idiom, but it seems to prompt thoughts about what their spiritual relationship was like as well.
3.27  This is an odd verse.  It doesn't seem like a very satisfying win and the phrase "there came great wrath against Israel seems odd to my 21st century western hear.

100223 2 Kings 1-2

2 Kings 1
1.9  Wordplay contributes to the irony here. The king tells Elijah to “come down” (Hebrew יָרַד, yarad), but Elijah calls fire down (יָרַד) on the arrogant king’s officer.  ---NET Bible translation notes
1.13  entreated him...  Isaiah 66.2b
1.17 Jehoram became king ... in the second year of Jehoram...
King Jehoram of Israel—the son of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, and successor to his brother Ahaziah on the throne of Israel. He reigned twelve years, B.C. 896-884 (2 Kings 1:17; 3:1). His first work was to reduce to subjection the Moabites, who had asserted their independence in the reign of his brother. Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, assisted Jehoram in this effort. He was further helped by his ally the king of Edom. Elisha went forth with the confederated army (2 Kings 3:1-19), and at the solicitation of Jehoshaphat encouraged the army with the assurance from the Lord of a speedy victory. The Moabites under Mesha their king were utterly routed and their cities destroyed. At Kir-haraseth Mesha made a final stand. The Israelites refrained from pressing their victory further, and returned to their own land.
     Elisha afterwards again befriended Jehoram when a war broke out between the Syrians and Israel, and in a remarkable way brought that war to a bloodless close (2 Kings 6:23). But Jehoram, becoming confident in his own power, sank into idolatry, and brought upon himself and his land another Syrian invasion, which led to great suffering and distress in Samaria (2 Kings 6:24-33). By a remarkable providential interposition the city was saved from utter destruction, and the Syrians were put to flight (2 Kings 7:6-15).
Jehoram was wounded in a battle with the Syrians at Ramah, and obliged to return to Jezreel (2 Kings 8:29; 9:14-15), and soon after the army proclaimed their leader Jehu king of Israel, and revolted from their allegiance to Jehoram (2 Kings 9). Jehoram was pierced by an arrow from Jehu's bow on the piece of ground at Jezreel which Ahab had taken from Naboth, and there he died (2 Kings 9:21-29).
Relatives
■Grandfather (paternal): King Omri
■Father: King Ahab
■Mother: Queen Jezebel
■Brothers: King Ahaziah

King Jehoram of Judah—the eldest son and successor of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. He reigned eight years (B.C. 892-885) alone as king of Judah, having been previously for some years associated with his father (2 Chr. 21:5, 20; 2 Kings 8:16). His wife was Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. His daughter Jehosheba was married to the high priest Jehoiada. He sank into gross idolatry, and brought upon himself and his kingdom the anger of Jehovah. The Edomites revolted from under his yoke, and the Philistines and the Arabians and Cushites invaded the land, and carried away great spoil, along with Jehoram's wives and all his children, except Ahaziah. He died a painful death from a fearful malady, and was refused a place in the sepulchre of the kings (2 Kings 8:16-24; 2 Chr. 21).
Relatives
■Father: King Jehoshaphat
■Wives: Athaliah—daughter of Ahab and Jezebel
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2 Kings 2
2.13  the moment of truth
2.20  salt...  Salt seemed like the worst thing to add to brackish water to make it pure, just as return to Yahweh must have appeared to be a backward step to many idolatrous Israelites. Nevertheless, since salt is what God ordered, it was effective. The use of salt may have symbolized a break with the past since this is what rubbing certain sacrifices with salt to sanctify them indicated (Lev. 2:13; Num. 18:19; Ezek. 43:24).21 Yahweh, not Baal, could restore blessing and fertility to His people. This miracle was another polemic against Baal worship (cf. 1 Kings 18; et al.). Baal's worshippers credited him with ruling over the waters on and beneath the earth, including underground springs and fountains.22 God's permanent healing of the spring would have served as a continuing reminder of Yahweh's ability to bring fruitfulness and blessing out of the deadly sterility of idolatry.  --Dr. Thomas Constable / http://www.soniclight.com/constable/notes/pdf/2kings.pdf
2.23  he cursed them in the name of the Lord...  Bethel was a center of idolatry in Israel; it was one of the golden calf sites (v. 23). Evidently Elisha's approach triggered a mass demonstration against him by many young men. The Hebrew word na'ar translated "lads" in 2:23 describes young men, not boys...   --Dr. Thomas Constable / http://www.soniclight.com/constable/notes/pdf/2kings.pdf

100921 1 Kings 19-22

1 Kings 19
19.5  And he laid down and slept...  sometimes a very spiritual thing to do.
19.13  What are you doing here?  That is a great question to ask ourselves often.

1Kings 20
20.9  I am having a hard time sorting out what exactly he is saying.
20.11  I love this proverbs.
20.34  Why did he let him go?
20.43  Sounds like a little pouting going on.

1 Kings 21
21.25  none who sold himself ... like Ahab...  I find the expression sold himself to be full of stuff to think about.
21.25  His wife incited... What a great helpmeet.

1Kings 22
22.5 What was Jehoshaphat doing up their with
22.13  let your word be like the word of one of them... but Micaiah was l=not the "get along to go along later.

100919 1 Kings 15-18

1Kings 15
15.3  not wholly true... Now, to me this would seem to indicate some inclination toward the Lord, but the next verse doesn't give much encouragement to that thought.
15.4  nevertheless, for David's sake...   I find this curious, because I am not sure that I would want a wicked offspring to rule just so I would have kin on the throne.  Something to think about.
15.10  Abishalom...  It is said in 1 Kings 15:2 that “his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom;” but in 2 Chr. 13:2 we read, “his mother's name was Michaiah, the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.” The explanation is that Maachah is just a variation of the name Michaiah, and that Abishalom is probably the same as Absalom, the son of David. It is probable that “Uriel of Gibeah” married Tamar, the daughter of Absalom (2 Sam. 14:27), and by her had Maachah. The word “daughter” in 1 Kings 15:2 will thus, as it frequently elsewhere does, mean grand-daughter.  ---WebBible Encyclopedia
http://christiananswers.net/dictionary/abijah.html?zoom_highlight=abishalom
15.26  and in his sin...  How horrible to have a sin named after your or assigned as "your" sin that you made people so.  God save me from such a sorry legacy.
15.25 Nadab ... did what was evil...

15.33 Basha ... did what was evil...
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1Kings 16
16.7  and because he destroyed it...   Even our sin accomplishes God righteous purposed.
16.8  Elah ... drinking himself drunk ... 
16.12  according to the Word of the Lord... 
16.15, 19  Zimri reigned seven days... his sins ... doing evil ...  Quite a record for seven days.
16.29  Ahab ... did evil ... more than all who were before him...  and over achiever.  :o(
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1Kings 17
17.1  Now Elijah...  A real turn of events.
17.24  now I know that you are a man of God...  It is funny that with the miracle of the unending meal and oil, she wasn't sure of him until now.
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1 Kings 18
18.3  Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly...  It is interesting to have such a strong believer serving so close to the monster Ahab.
18.6  so they divided the land...  Didn't Ahab have people who could do that for him?
18.21  between two opinions...