June 29 – Tiglath Pileser III

June 29
2 Kings 15:1-16:20
Acts 19:13-41
Psalm 147:1-20
Proverbs 18:4-5

2 Kings 15:5 – Why was Azariah struck with leprosy? We’ll find out in 2 Chronicles 26:16-21.

2 Kings 15:12 – “And so it came to pass.” The word of the LORD always comes to pass!

Stele of Tiglath-Pilesar III, King of Assyria (745-727 BCE), Zagros mountains, western Iran, Dolomite (hard limestone), H. 2.4 m, IMJ 74.49.96 Gift of Ayoub Rabenou, Paris

2 Kings 15:19-20 – From USC:

In 1993 a team of UCLA archaeologists led by Professor Elizabeth Carter were undertaking a survey of the Karamanmarash Valley in present-day Turkey (right). Digging near a village called Incirli, a funny thing happened. One of the local residents informed them that a man had found a strange artifact in a mound behind his house, which he had been leveling for agricultural reasons. The mound was now sitting in his garden. Upon going to the garden and inspecting the object, Prof. Carter was amazed to discover that it was actually an ancient basalt stele (rounded stone slab) dating back to the days of the Assyrian Empire.

The Incirli stela is one of the few inscriptions that solidifies the existence of the biblical figure Pul / Tiglath Pileser. This alone brings a great deal of importance to the history and the words encompassing the Incirli stela.

2 Kings 16:3 – This was a clear violation of Leviticus 18:21, and Deuteronomy 18:10. Unfortunately he would not be the last king to so do (2 Kings 17:17 and 2 Kings 21:6).

Acts 19:15 – It’s not enough to have a friend who knows someone. You need to know Jesus directly!

Acts 19:19 – Obedience can be expensive – in this case 50,000 pieces of silver!

Acts 19:30 – Thankful for friends who can tell the difference between a God-given opportunity to preach, and a riot that will be dealt with administratively (Acts 19:35).

Psalm 147:1