Daily Bible Reading Day 137

2Kings 15-17; John 6:1-21.  You can tell that Israel is nearing the end due to the rapid assassinations and replacements of kings. During Israel downhill trend Ahaz becomes king in Judah. He makes a treaty with Assyria against Damascus. Assyria helps him defeat Damascus. While there Ahaz sees an altar that he likes. He sends blueprints back to the high priest in Jerusalem who makes it for him. I wonder if Ahaz's treaty with Assyria is setting the stage for Assyria to destroy the Northern Tribes? Hoshea is the final king in Israel. He tries to make a treaty with Egypt against Assyria but Assyria comes and defeats Hoshea. There is a three year siege and finally the North falls. The Assyrian king removes them from Israel and resettles them elsewhere. He also brings in people from other countries. God sends lions to kill some of them. They ask Assyria to send a priest to help them learn of the god of the area. Even though the priest teaches them the way of The Lord they still walk in the ways of the gods of their homelands. I've often thought that Samaritans were half Jewish and half Gentile but reading this part again suggests that Samaritans were wholly Gentiles who accepted The Lord in some capacity but certainly not in a faithful capacity. So the Samaritans accepted circumcision and the Law of Moses but not much else.

Jesus feeds the 5,000. This is one of the few stories that John has in common with the other three Gospel writers. Jesus knows that the people want to make him king because of his ability to feed them miraculously so he leaves. The disciples get on a boat in the Sea of Galilee and storm comes up. Jesus walks on the water up to the boat. They are frightened but Jesus speaks to them and they invite him into the boat.