1 Ki 13-22/2 Ki 1-8/Acts 12-14/James 1-3

1 Kings
There are a lot of bad kings and they do a lot of bad things. The king of Israel in the North sets up an altar at Bethel and Dan where they worship Yahweh (instead of Jerusalem where it is supposed to be).

The worst of the lot of Ahab and his notorious wife Jezebel. They are worshipers of Baal, the primary rival of Yahweh in the region.

We also have the story of Elijah. Here is one of the greatest prophets of Israel, who stands up against the evil kings and queens. Well...mostly. After his victory at Mount Carmel, he is on the run. However he performs great miracles and speaks for God to the people struggling at the time.

Ahab himself has an ambiguous loyalty to Yahweh. He seems to be convinced at times, but at others is apathetic.

The deaths of these kings is often bloody. The reference to being eaten by dogs is pointed at the lack of proper burial. Such a thing was shameful to the person and their family. Several of the kings are not succeeded by descendants, but are cut-off.

2 Ki
2 Kings is a simple continuation of 1 Kings. In the Hebrew Bible they aren't even separated. 2 Kings tells the story of the fall of the nation of Israel - first Israel in the north to the Assyrians in 721 BC and then Judah in the south to the Babylonians in 586 BC. However, while the people in the north are lost to history, the people of the south maintain their identity in their exile.

This first part centers around Elisha, who succeeds Elijah. He asks for a double-portion - the proper inheritance of the first born. He repeats many of the miracles of Elijah, and if anything seems to be even more spectacular than Elijah.

The Kings are a mixed bag in Judah - some, such as Jehosaphat, not so bad (though not great either). Others as bad as their evil parents.

Acts 12-14
A funny story of Peter's rescue then the beginning of Paul's missions. Notice the shape - at first Paul is welcomed, then later his enemies and rivals stir people up and they are persecuted.

James 1-3
A break to read the epistle of James and some of Paul. The two are about to meet in conflict in the next chapter in Acts. James and Paul might seem to have opposing view points on faith and works. But I think they both would see that the two are connected and inter-related.

James epistle (which Luther almost tossed out of the German Bible as an "epistle of straw") is written to Jewish Christians and very much in that vein of thought. It is a kind of morality sermon as well as containing a fair bit of wisdom literature, like the Proverbs. Throughout James concern is about justice and living peaceably in community and care for the poor. He also has one of the most famous passages about the tongue in chapter 3 (gossip is not a new problem).