“These are also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out. It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.” Proverbs 25:1-2 (KJB)
Hezekiah
When The King Prays
“And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD. And Hezekiah prayed unto the LORD, saying,
‘O LORD of Hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubims, Thou art the God, Thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: Thou hast made heaven and earth.
Incline Thine ear, O LORD, and hear; open Thine eyes, O LORD, and see: and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent to reproach the living God. Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations, and their countries, and have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them.
Now therefore, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that Thou art the LORD, Thou only.’ ” Isaiah 37:14-20 (KJB)
The enemy was at the gates of Jerusalem. Threatening letters had been sent, mocking letters and words had been written and said for the people on the wall to hear. The purpose was to cause them to fear.
Fear has a way of crippling, and handicapping the victim. Fear makes victims of its prey. Fear is a coward which is a sneak; because it creeps in unseen, and often unheard until it strikes.
We all deal with it. Notice what Hezekiah did when he received the fearful, mocking letter from the king of Assyria; he went to thee LORD, laid out the letter before Him and prayed.
God heard the king’s prayer and sent word to him, by way of the prophet; and God took care of the mocking king; and over night killed 185,000 of the soldiers of Assyria.
What is attacking you today? Have you put your faith and trust in the Lord by believing what He says about His Son Jesus the Christ? Jesus died on the cross for your sins, He was buried, and He rose again. When you know Jesus you have access to the very throne of God (Hebrews 4:16).
When fear from the enemy comes in, you now have the authority of Heaven to take your case to the Throne.
Always, Up to Date
“For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses.” 2 Kings 18:6 (KJB)
Old, outdated, and antiquated are words we might hear from some older people about the Bible. We would probably hear it more from the mouths of the young, liberally “educated” college student.
The kings of Judah and Israel before Hezekiah were probably thinking they needed to be more “Up to date”, and trying to fit in with nations around them. After all the Law of Moses, and the commandments were hundreds of years old. They were written for the wilderness wanderers. What does that word have to do with me today; or the people I lead?
Israel had fallen. They had been taken captive into Assyria. It was because they had forsaken GOD, and His commandments (18:11-12). So how does this coincide with people of 2018, and days and years to come?
My answer to that is this: If it was good enough for Moses, Joshua, and Hezekiah; Hezekiah after hundreds of year; then it is good enough for me. Let me get one thing straight though. It is certain that not one of us can be saved by keeping of the Law of God. The Law was given to show us our weaknesses. It is solely by the grace of God that we can be in the presence of God, approaching His throne, and truly worshiping Him.
The word of God, the Law of God is as up to date as next weeks Newspaper, television News broadcast, and it is as up to date as next years Person of the Year publication of Time Magazine. The word of God is still like a two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12).
For Hezekiah, king of Judah loving GOD, and keeping His commandments was not a duty. He loved GOD, he loved GOD’S word, and he lived accordingly. Was Hezekiah perfect? No! He too was dependent upon the grace of GOD.
The full grace of GOD was displayed by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross hundreds of years later (over 600 years), and Jesus was buried, and He rose from the grave. It may have been around 2000 plus years ago; but He is still the only One who can save.
Old, Outdated, Antiquated? Maybe we are the ones who have been outdated… Something to think about.
Prophets Speak – Christmas Day 140
“Then rose up certain of the elders of the land, and spake to all the assembly of the people, saying, ‘Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spake to all the people of Judah, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts; Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.’ ‘Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? Did he not fear the LORD, and besought the LORD, and the LORD repented Him of the evil which he had pronounced against them? Thus might we procure great evil against our souls.'” Jeremiah 26:17-19 (KJV)
Jeremiah was facing the religious leaders, and they were trying to determine if the prophet should be put to death or not. He had spoken against the temple, said it was going to be destroyed, and doing so made him worthy of death.
What do I want for Christmas today?
To always be bold in the Spirit of God and His word, to be faithful to His Word, and never diminish a word of what God has said; to always lift up Jesus Christ and His cross – His death, burial and resurrection, and that He is the eternal Son of God, God the Son, and that He is the exclusive way to God and eternity with Him
Prophets Speak – Christmas Day One Hundred Fifty and Four
““O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God. Truly, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands—wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them. Now therefore, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the LORD, You alone.”” Isaiah 37:16-20 (NKJV)
The verses above speaks of what godly leaders do when their people and nation are threatened, by a supposedly invincible enemy.
What do I want for Christmas?
I want a godly leader for our nation – the United States of America – one who is not afraid to pray in the midst of chaos, and attacks for enemy forces, one who will live before God and the people not with empty words of “faith”, but with conviction, and believing God (Not politics, and policies) is our only hope for deliverance, and influence in the world.
To Know that the LORD is God
“Now therefore, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that Thou art the LORD, even Thou only.” Isaiah 37:20 (KJV)
These words are from the prayer of King Hezekiah, after he has received letter from Sennacherib General of the Assyrian army who has been mocking God, and Israel; and threatening destruction of the city of Jerusalem, capture of the people, and destruction of the Temple.
Hezekiah was one of the godly kings of Judah. When threatened by the ungodly he prayed. Verses 16-20 is his prayer, and God heard his prayer. Sennacherib went home after 185,000 of his army was slain by God, he was defeated; and when he arrived home he was killed by two of his sons in the temple of their god Nisroch (37:36-38).
It should always be in the hearts of God’s people to pray that God be the benefactor, and receive all the glory for our battles.
After I read the above verse while reading Isaiah 36 – 38, I wrote in my journal the following…
“This phrase (“that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that Thou art the LORD…), is used throughout the Old Testament; at least 63 times in the book of Ezekiel alone. As a continuing theme throughout the O.T. it seems quite clear that God desires that the world know Him; and one day every knee will bow to Him and every tongue will confess to God that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11).
That is why God sent His only begotten Son. That the world may know that He is LORD.
I am convinced and hold deeply to the conviction that Jesus Christ is Lord; and one day every false god, idol, and icon will fall before Him shattered, broken and shown to be false; and all who worshipped the false will bow before Him, and call Him Lord. For those who will be compelled to do it then; it will be eternally too late.
The time to bow before Him and confess Him as Lord is now; it is now. Do not wait.
Our GOD to Help Us
“Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him: with him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.” 2 Chronicles 32:7-8 (KJV)
Hezekiah was a faithful king doing that which was right in the sight of the LORD (29:2). Yet, he was not perfect, because he got full of himself (v. 25); as sometimes great leaders do.
The above words were spoken by the king when the city of Jerusalem was being threatened by the Assyrian king.
They are words not just for the army, the people of Judah, but for all God’s people down through the ages.
For Christians today we need to be strong and courageous. It is not the time to be silent. It is time to let the light of Jesus Christ shine. When people tell us, “Go away Christian” because we take a stand on the Biblical definition of marriage; and/or any moral issue; such as abortion, adultery, etc., we stand anyway. We speak what God speaks. We do not make decisions based on culture, society, or what might be popular. We make decisions based on Christ Jesus and His Word; the word of God.
The gods of the world are already defeated. They are mere stone, wood, stubble; but GOD is God of all that is. He has made all things, and loved us enough to send us His Son as our Saviour that we might be delivered from our sin and its condemnation; putting to death our sin on His cross.
Christian; BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS. Begin now. Begin today.
Revival
“Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and brake the images in pieces, and cut down the groves, and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities.” 2 Chronicles 31:1 (KJV)
Hezekiah was a godly king, and did that which was right in the sight of the LORD (29:1-2). He called the remnant of the northern kingdom to join with the people of the southern kingdom to restore the Passover, and proper worship to the Lord in Jerusalem; and many of the people came (30:1-12).
Both kingdoms were guilty of godless kings, leading the people away from God and the proper worship of Him who alone is worthy of worship. Ahaz; Hezekiah’s father was one of the worst of Judah.
As a result of the people of the remnant of the northern kingdom coming to Jerusalem and worshipping with the people of the southern kingdom was that they all returned to their lands, and destroyed the idols, images, high places, and done what was right and godly. They had a revival in the land.
People of God of any day when they get right with God will rid themselves, their land, their homes of anything that is an offense to God, the LORD. The greatest enemy to God’s people – To the Christian today is harboring, hanging on to that sinful thing that we want to hang on to. What is it? That thing that keeps you from a right fellowship with God.
Pride, greed, lust, lying, shedding innocent blood, wicked mind and thoughts, sowing discord among brethren: you can apply your own there. What is our greatest enemy? See 2 Corinthians 10:5. Throw it down.
Putting Away Evil
“He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan. He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses. And the LORD was with him; and he prospered whithersoever he went forth: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not.” 2 Kings 18:4-7 (KJV)
Hezekiah, a king that did right in the sight of the LORD (v. 3). He was the son of an ungodly king (Ahaz), and “did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD” (16:2).
Hezekiah loved God, the LORD with all that he had. He even destroyed an article which Moses had made in the wilderness – the brazen serpent (Numbers 21:4-9). He called it “Nehushtan” believed to mean “that bronze thing”. The people of Judah had gone to worshipping it making an idol of it, even burning incense to it. It is believed that they may have taken on the Canaanite demonism of believing that serpents were fertility symbols.
A symbol that had been lifted up in the wilderness portraying sin being put to death on a tree (John 3:14-15); and looking to it to live; made a source of grief to a godly king.
Evil in any form should be scorned, despised and held in contempt by any child of God. It is evil to worship any God, but Jehovah. He is worshipped solely though the death, burial and resurrection of the Son of God, God the Son Jesus Christ.
As Hezekiah “clave to the LORD”; so too must we who are called Christian. To be Christian is to be “Christ like” or “Like Christ”; and He hated evil. He hated it so much He went to the cross in our place and took the punishment for our sin; even becoming sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21); and taking the wrath of the Father in our place.
Believe Him today, and be saved for eternity.
The Redeeming Love of GOD
Hosea’s Call, Circumstances, and Marriage
Several years ago I did a study of Hosea. I spent a few days in the church I pastored teaching in special services for that purpose; and I was also invited by my home church to come for a week of services to teach the book of Hosea. It was the year that our Convention – the Southern Baptist Convention – had Hosea as the Winter Bible Study. This was a study i thoroughly enjoyed, was encouraged by, and prayerfully have grown through; and more since that time.
We will be in this study for some time. I will endeavor to keep the studies readable and short. I pray God’s richest blessing on you, as you read and hear the word of the LORD.
“Hosea was the second of God’s spokesmen known as eighth-century prophets.” Amos was the first, and he and Hosea were contemporaries, both preaching in the Northern kingdom also know as Israel, or Ephraim. Isaiah and Micah preached to the Southern kingdom, usually called Judah, during this same century.
There are two main divisions to the book: 1) Hosea’s marriage, and 2) Hosea’s message. There are four prominent themes: 1.) God’s love, 2.) the sin of God’s people, 3.) God’s judgment, and 4.) hope.
“Hosea 1-3:5 emphasizes God’s faithful love in spite of the people’s unfaithfulness to Him. Hosea 4 – 7:16 shows God’s indictment of the sins of unfaithful Israel. Hosea 8 – 10:15 stresses the sure judgment that awaited Israel because of their stubborn refusal to repent. Hosea 11 – 14:9 presents the hope that God’s healing love will eventually lead some to repentance and renewal.” From the WINTER BIBLE STUDY for this study.
Let us begin by reading chapter 1 verse 1,
“The word of the LORD that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.” Hosea 1:1 (KJV)
If you will note the kings of the kingdom of the South – Judah; Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. Three of these kings “did what was right in the eyes of the LORD”; one did not – that was Ahaz (2 Kings 15:30-34; 16:1-4; 18:1-3). Joash, fit in with Ahaz. For those who might think leadership in the nation does not have anything to do with morality, or blessing beware.
Sometimes hearing the Word of the LORD is through our circumstances. The spiritual and moral attitude of Israel was one of not only spiritual adultery against God, but adultery of the flesh as well. Because of this it might have been quite difficult for a man to find a woman who was morally and physically pure. Does that sound relevant to our times? Through these circumstances of life Hosea heard the Word of God.
“The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, ‘Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD. So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son.” Hosea 1:2-3 (KJV)
The Northern kingdom was a kingdom which had departed from the LORD from their inception (1 Kings 12:16-33). If you were to study the kings of the Northern kingdom there is not one king of whom the Scripture says “Did right in the eyes of the LORD”, not one.
Remember, also, the moral circumstances of the land in that day. There was much idolatry; all connected to Baal worship. There was temple prostitution, used in “worship” of Baal, pleasure oriented god who was made after the image of man. The prostitution was both male and female; or heterosexual and homosexual abomination. The people of the era believed these adulterous practices would bring s harvest of bounty, the rains would be plentiful. Many a young woman and many a young man was convinced that to present themselves as a prostitute for Baal was her duty and an honor. Many a married – betrothed woman would go to Baal’s temple and engage in this behavior believing that to do so would make her womb fruitful and bear many sons.
Hosea loved a woman named Gomer who – possibly after the wedding – began these pagan rites of worship. God definitely used this in speaking to Hosea. Hosea learned in this the pain, the heart break of God in Israel’s departure from Him.
“And the LORD said unto him, ‘Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel. And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.” verses 4-5 (KJV)
As a result of this marriage there was a son born to Hosea and Gomer. God told Hosea to name him Jezreel. Jezreel means “God sows”. In this case God is saying that He is going to sow judgment. Jezreel is a city approximately 55 miles North of Jerusalem. It is in an area known as the “Plain of Jezreel [Megiddo]”. A place where much blood has been shed, and much will yet be shed in that plain (See Revelation 19:11-21).
At this time the house of Jehu will be judged, because of their father’s sin (See 2 Kings 10:29-31). It seems that Hosea has no doubt about Jezreel being his son.
And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, ‘Call her name Loruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away. But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.’
Now when she had weaned Loruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son. Then said God, ‘Call his name Loammi: for ye are not My people, and I will not be your God.'” verses 6-9 (KJV)
The next child that was born was a daughter. Lo Ruhamah means “No mercy”. Do you suppose Hosea may have began to realize that his wife was unfaithful at this time.
Then Gomer had a third child, and God called him Lo Ammi meaning “Not My people”. Was Hosea coming to understand the heart of God? His heart- ache, pain, and anger with adulterous affairs, with worldliness among His people?
“Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, ‘Ye are not My people,’ there it shall be said unto them, ‘Ye are the sons of the living God.’ Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.” verses 10-11 (KJV)
Speaking through the circumstances of Hosea’s day God has spoken words of judgment and rejection. However, we see in these last verses of the chapter that there is hope.
In these verses God promises that He is not through with Israel. This is truly a hope and promise of THE REDEEMING LOVE OF GOD.
What does God promise?
- They shall be “accountable – without number” (v. 10);
- …Those “Not My people” declared to be “Sons of the living God” (v. 10);
- …There shal be a gathering of Judah and Israel (v. 11);
- …They shall have one head – “The root of David” (v. 11; Jeremiah 30:8-9);
- …They are told to refer to one another as “brother” and “sister” (2:1).
We will look at number five further in the next study.
When we look at Israel, the Northern kingdom, God’s promises to them; then we can know and rest in the assurance of God’s promises that His Word is being fulfilled; even today. The whole law and the prophets is revealed fully in the person of Jesus Christ. He suffered the agony, suffering, rejection of death, was buried, and rose again bodily from the grave; justifying all who will believe Him.
-Tim A. Blankenship
Day 65 – Who Is Like the LORD?
We hear many people speak of “Justice”, “Right” or “Rights”, and the world is filled with injustice, and unrighteousness; and none of us are completely innocent of either. We love seeing the hungry fed, the poor and/or homeless given shelter and even finding prosperity in their paths of life. Is it injustice that makes people poor; or unrighteousness that causes a family to go hungry or without shelter? My answer to that is NO! Circumstances in life can have an affect on an individual’s misfortune; or that of a families homelessness and poverty.
One thing we can be certain of and that is that there is no injustice, or unrighteousness in or with our GOD, the Lord of creation. My reading began in the Minor Prophet of Micah, and concluded with Habakkuk with Nahum in between. My reading only consisted of 13 chapters today. That is where those five extra days at the end will help make up the difference.
Micah is a prophet who calls for his listeners to “Hear”. In verses 1:2; 2:1, 9; 6:1 the prophet Micah calls for the people to “Hear”. He calls on the religious leaders to hear, the political leaders, and the people to “Hear”. We need to hear what Micah has to say. Micah’s name means, “Who is like the LORD?”
“The word of the LORD that came to Micah the Morasthite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. Hear, all ye people; hearken, O earth, and all that therein is: and let the Lord GOD be witness against you, the Lord from His holy temple. For, behold, the LORD cometh forth out of His place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth. And the mountains shall be molten under Him, and the valleys shall be cleft, as wax before the fire, and as the waters that are poured down a steep place.” Micah 1:1-4 (KJV)
By the first verse we can tell that Micah was a contemporary with Isaiah, Hosea, and Amos. The LORD is a witness against all injustice and unrighteousness.
How many times have you heard someone say, “Life is not fair”, or “That’s just not fair” or some other “fair” statement. NO! Life is not fair. God is however Just and Righteous; and we can depend on and trust Him to do what is right, just and holy. He calls on His people to live that way too. The LORD is not pleased when He sees injustice and unrighteousness, especially in those who call themselves “children of God”.
“But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” Micah 4:1-2
Micah is a prophet with a prophecy of promise. A day is coming when nations will “flow” unto the “Mountain of the house of the LORD”. “Flow” seems like a thing that a river would do within its banks. It is a natural thing for a river to flow. It is a natural thing for the people of God to flow to the place where God is, yet it is by the power of God that we are able to flow there. Who is like the LORD?
We can see this question; though not stated as we read Nahum and Habakkuk.
In Nahum we have written,
“The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet. He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth. The mountains quake at Him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at His presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein. Who can stand before His indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of His anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by Him. The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in him. But with an overrunning flood He will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue His enemies.” Nahum 1:3-8 (KJV)
The prophecy of Nahum is written to Nineveh, that same city that God had sent the prophet Jonah to about 100 or so years previous to Nahum’s prophecy; and the city had repented, and God withheld judgment. However, now judgment was coming because of their sinful brutality and wickedness;
“Woe to the bloody city! It is all full of lies and robbery; the prey departeth not; the noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the pransing horses, and of the jumping chariots. The horseman lifteth up both the bright sword and the glittering spear: and there is a multitude of slain, and a great number of carcases; and there is none end of their corpses; they stumble upon their corpses: because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the wellfavoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts. ‘Behold, I am against thee, saith the LORD of hosts; ‘and I will discover thy skirts upon thy face, and I will shew the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame. And I will cast abominable filth upon thee, and make thee vile, and will set thee as a gazingstock. And it shall come to pass, that all they that look upon thee shall flee from thee, and say, ‘Nineveh is laid waste: who will bemoan her? whence shall I seek comforters for thee?'” Nahum 3:1-7
Though Habakkuk asked the timeless question, “How can a holy God allow evil to continue?” he still comes to the conclusion like the others. “Who is like the LORD?” This prophecy is a debate, of sorts, between the prophet and the LORD. Of course in a debate such as that there is only one winner of the debate; however the one who yields to the LORD’S wisdom is a winner too.
Habakkuk’s conclusion of the matter,
“Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength, and He will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places.” Habakkuk 3:17-19 (KJV)
Habakkuk has reached the conclusion that all of God’s people will reach. God is God. There is no other. I will trust in Him when there are no crops; when the blessings are all dried up; when the flocks and the herds are no more. Who is like the LORD? There is none like Him.
-Tim A. Blankenship
Day 29 – The Pride and a Fall
It is written in Proverbs, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18). Pride even gets into the hearts and minds of the best among us; and that is never more clear to me than when I was reading in 2 Chronicles 23 – 36 this morning.
I read of several kings, three of which, Uzziah, Hezekiah, and Josiah were noted as “Doing what was right in the sight of the LORD”; and they did wonderful things to restore Judah and Jerusalem to the right worship of the LORD. The LORD prospered them, the nation and the city because of the fine works of these godly kings. The death of Uzziah is mourned by Isaiah the prophet in Isaiah 6.
Uzziah, however became prideful. Hear what the Scripture says of him –
“But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense.” 2 Chronicles 26:16 (KJV)
In his pride he usurped the office of the priest; an office that did not belong to him; nor a work that was his. When Uzziah was approached, and rebuked by the chief priest Azariah it is like he had the attitude, “I am king. Who do you think you are correcting the king?”
“And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because the LORD had smitten him. And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the LORD: and Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.” 26:20-21
Uzziah died a leper, due to his prideful fall.
King Hezekiah too is recognized as a king who did what “…was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done” (29:2). King Hezekiah brought back the Passover, and brought back a unity between part of the people of the Northern kingdom of Israel (30:1-12). Hezekiah did many wonderful things in Judah and Jerusalem, and God blessed him greatly; yet his heart became prideful;
“In those days Hezekiah was sick to the death, and prayed unto the LORD: and He spake unto him, and He gave him a sign. But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem. Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.” 32:24-25
We also see that God did something in the life of Hezekiah which we may find a bit puzzling;
“Howbeit in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that He might know all that was in his heart.” 32:31 (See 2 Kings 20:12-19)
What I am referring to is the phrase, “God left him, to try him, that He might know all that was in his heart.” Have you ever had a time when it seemed the Lord had “left” you? It was probably a test. It is a time of God’s silence. Your real heart and mind will be revealed during those times. The warning here is be cautious, very cautious of pride.
Now, let us look at Josiah who was only eight years of age when he became king of Judah, and he too “…did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father…” (34:1-2). Josiah heard the word of the LORD, after the reading of it, called the nation to repentance, and was promised to die in peace (34:21-28).
For some reason, and I believe this to be an element of his pride, though it is not named; the king sees a battle that is not his, and he goes to war against Necho, king of Egypt. The Egyptian kings sends ambassadors saying to Josiah,
“After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Carchemish by Euphrates: and Josiah went out against him. But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, ‘What have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? I come not against thee this day, but against the house wherewith I have war: for God commanded me to make haste: forbear thee from meddling with God, who is with me, that he destroy thee not.’ Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and hearkened not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo. And the archers shot at king Josiah; and the king said to his servants, ‘Have me away; for I am sore wounded.’ His servants therefore took him out of that chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had; and they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died, and was buried in one of the sepulchres of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.” 2 Chronicles 35:20-24 (KJV)
Josiah goes against the word of the LORD by the prophet (34:21-28), and proceeds to war when he has none to fight. O, the futility, and death that pride brings.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God humbled Himself to the point of death, and went to the cross to die for the sins of the world; mine and yours; He was buried, and rose bodily from the grave, and He still lives, exalted at the Father’s right hand.
-Tim A. Blankenship
Day 25 – What the LORD Does With Evil in His People
In reading through the Bible in 90 days there are passages which, to be honest, I find difficult to read; and today’s reading was no exception. I am speaking particularly of 1 Chronicles 1 – 9 which gives us a genealogy from Adam through the Babylonian captivity of Israel. I must admit that I cheat when I come to these and pretty much just scan the pages trying to take note of the main names. Ever once in a while I will notice something I had not seen before.
The one main thing I noticed this morning is that there is more mention of Bathsheba than I had noticed before, in the genealogy, and that may be due to the KJV use of “Bathshua” rather than Bathsheba. Bathsheba according to this text (1 Chronicles 3:5) is the daughter of Ammiel; who is known as Eliam in 2 Samuel 11:3. There is also the famous Jabez in chapter 4; who prayed and God answered his prayer (vv.9-10). His name [Jabez] means that he was a pain in birth.
My reading this morning started in 2 Kings 21 and extended through 1 Chronicles 9.
The statement in the title “What the LORD Does With Evil in His People” is answered in 2 Kings 21 – 25. The short answer to that question is – He judges it severely. I will not just leave it there though.
The first mention in the reading is of Manasseh, son of Godly king Hezekiah who was a man pretty much after the fashion of king David. Manasseh, however was a murdering, idol worshipping abomination to Judah. He led the people of Judah away from the worship of Jehovah/YHWH. He worshipped the sun, moon, stars, and all their supposed powers (21:5), he sacrificed his son to the fire (21:6), and to these things God will not turn away;
“And the LORD spake by His servants the prophets, saying, ‘Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols: therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle. And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab: and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it, and turning it upside down. And I will forsake the remnant of Mine inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies; because they have done that which was evil in My sight, and have provoked Me to anger, since the day their fathers came forth out of Egypt, even unto this day.’ Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; beside his sin wherewith he made Judah to sin, in doing that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.” 2 Kings 21:10-16 (KJV)
In 2 Kings we get our first introduction to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. He will be the instrument of God’s judgment upon Judah. One of the things we should see about these things is that God is not pacified with good deeds. We have seen a few kings of Judah who were pleasing to God David, Asa, Hezekiah, Josiah to name a few. God does not have a set of balances weighing our good on one side and evil on the other; He judges sin, because He hates sin. It separates us from Him.
God sent the Southern kingdom of Judah into Babylonian captivity because of their sin; but we find when we get through 2 Chronicles that He does bring them back to Jerusalem. That is not a balancing of things; that is, however, grace.
The Son of God made it possible for all will call on His name to have eternal fellowship with the Creator of the Universe. His name is Jesus
-Tim A. Blankenship
Day 24 – Worship of a Good Thing
This post today will probably be much shorter than usual.
My reading this morning covered 2 Kings 7 – 20. There was mention of many kings. Still none of the kings of the Northern kingdom “pleased the LORD”; only one got close yet not sufficient and that was Jehu. There were some of the kings of the Southern kingdom who “pleased the LORD”, but not like David their father and example.
I want us to look at one king of the Southern kingdom whose name is Hezekiah, and one of the exploits he did in Judah; named in 18:4,
“Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Abi, the daughter of Zachariah. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did. He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.” 2 Kings 18:1-4 (KJV)
The brasen serpent is first mentioned in the book of Numbers. The people had grown to complaining, and GOD sent poisonous serpents into the camp, biting the people, then they were dying; and began to cry out to Moses, and Moses called out to the LORD,
“And the LORD said unto Moses, ‘Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.’ And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.” Numbers 21:8-9
In the days of Hezekiah the people had began to worship the serpent on the brazen pole, bowing down to it evidently, even burning incense to it – “That thing of brass”. It had lost its real significance, and had become an idol. Originally when those bitten had looked upon it they would live. It is a symbol of the cross of Christ; even a shadow of the cross; where all our sins were placed on the perfect sacrifice for sin – the sinless, perfect, holy Son of God – and the wrath of God was poured out on Him and His blood was shed for our redemption, and He bodily arose from the grave giving all who will believe in Him eternal life in glory.
What is the problem with “Nehushtan”? Worshipping a good thing is not proper worship; and God despises our worship of anything except Him. Jesus said, “They that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). To worship God in spirit is to have a redeemed spirit through the shed blood of Jesus the Christ. Any other worship is not a “Good thing”
-Tim A. Blankenship
The Fire and Hammer 