Reading through 2 Kings 15 and 16 this morning, I realize that I was not previously aware of the role Judah played in the demise of Israel. Specifically, Ahaz, king of Judah, paid Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, for military help against Aram, and in the process, Assyria gained better access to siege Samaria, leading to Israel's downfall and elimination. Granted, their habitual and blatant idolatry made Assyria a tool in God's hand. Prophet after prophet, speaking for Him warned them, to no avail.
So here is Ahaz following Israel's lead; he greatly expands the idolatry in Judah, thinking he is safe from Assyria, and more importantly, assuming he is safe from God's eye. His affront to God is frightening to read, as he recklessly fueled God's anger.
We talked last evening in church about the stable Christian life, and how leadership is a vital tool regarding that stability. Ahaz is a great example of how poor leadership can upset the stability of a seemingly strong nation, Judah. A couple good kings follow him, but by the time you get to Josiah, who was rather good in God's eyes, the damage is done, and God's mind to judgment is already made up. Judah never did recover that stability they once enjoyed.
Our Christian lives can be easily filled with idolatry in our own ways. We might not build altars and burn incense to false gods, but we will place many, many things ahead of God in priority. We'd be fools to think that we don't. Let's take time today to consider how we can be strong and stable Christians, the dads and husbands we should be, the wives and moms we should be, the neighbors we should be, the friends we should be, the Christians who stand up for God's truth, just like we should be doing! Is there anything more important than devotedly following the Lord?
Ahaz thought so.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
All the way
While the books of 1 and 2 Kings deals primarily with Israel, the Northern Kingdom, occasionally one of Judah's kings makes an appearance, and in chapters 11-13 of 2 Kings, this is Joash. Brief synopsis...Queen Athaliah (self-appointed queen after her son Ahaziah is killed) has all the related princes killed. Joash's aunt hides him until he is seven, at which time he takes the throne of Judah.
By this time, Judah had also maintained several high places for their various worship, as opposed to solely using the temple. Most of the kings we read about here follow in the ways of Jeroboam, doing evil in the sight of the Lord. The text for Joash says he did RIGHT in the sight of the Lord. Good, right? Well, almost. It also says "Only the high places were not taken away." (2 Kings 12:2-3). High places would have been on hill tops, "closer to God", but had become places vital to Baal worship, and certainly unnecessary with the temple to be the central location for such worship.
In fact, Joash was wise to follow the high priest's leading (Jehoiada), and Joash managed to be a decent leader while Jehoiada was alive. His true colors showed, though, when the priest died, we later find out in Chronicles. I suppose we can only guess why he did not take down those potentially idolatrous high places. Laziness, complacency, indifference? We do not know. We have the luxury of reading ahead and knowing that Judah would be taken captive for their idolatrous ways, just like their relatives from Israel.
Some would say Joash was "good enough", and certainly he was better than some, or even most, especially compared to the kings of the Northern Kingdom. But God clearly does not ask us to compare ourselves to others around us (this comes up for us in 2 Corinthians 10:12, to another carnal group).
God gave Israel, Judah, and us His standard by which to live. Having no other gods before Him does not mean it is OK to keep those other gods around, or that we can leave other gods in place and have the strength to ignore them. He commands us to get rid of them. Get rid of the high places! Stop focusing on other things as if they are more important than Him!
I have to look at my own life, and be careful not to say "I am living pretty well for the Lord", as that implies there are areas to be fixed that are not being worked on. Joash did right, but either not to the fullest possible extent, or for the wrong reasons. God's Spirit will help me do right, when I let Him lead my life, completely!
Praying today for a full and complete Christian effort!
By this time, Judah had also maintained several high places for their various worship, as opposed to solely using the temple. Most of the kings we read about here follow in the ways of Jeroboam, doing evil in the sight of the Lord. The text for Joash says he did RIGHT in the sight of the Lord. Good, right? Well, almost. It also says "Only the high places were not taken away." (2 Kings 12:2-3). High places would have been on hill tops, "closer to God", but had become places vital to Baal worship, and certainly unnecessary with the temple to be the central location for such worship.
In fact, Joash was wise to follow the high priest's leading (Jehoiada), and Joash managed to be a decent leader while Jehoiada was alive. His true colors showed, though, when the priest died, we later find out in Chronicles. I suppose we can only guess why he did not take down those potentially idolatrous high places. Laziness, complacency, indifference? We do not know. We have the luxury of reading ahead and knowing that Judah would be taken captive for their idolatrous ways, just like their relatives from Israel.
Some would say Joash was "good enough", and certainly he was better than some, or even most, especially compared to the kings of the Northern Kingdom. But God clearly does not ask us to compare ourselves to others around us (this comes up for us in 2 Corinthians 10:12, to another carnal group).
God gave Israel, Judah, and us His standard by which to live. Having no other gods before Him does not mean it is OK to keep those other gods around, or that we can leave other gods in place and have the strength to ignore them. He commands us to get rid of them. Get rid of the high places! Stop focusing on other things as if they are more important than Him!
I have to look at my own life, and be careful not to say "I am living pretty well for the Lord", as that implies there are areas to be fixed that are not being worked on. Joash did right, but either not to the fullest possible extent, or for the wrong reasons. God's Spirit will help me do right, when I let Him lead my life, completely!
Praying today for a full and complete Christian effort!
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Follow the right King
It is quite easy to look around and see where others fail, where they fall short, and how if we were in charge of their lives, things would be different. That is even easier when we read in the Old Testament, and feel indignant toward those doing things obviously wrong. I have been reading through 1 and 2 Kings, and the end of 1 Kings closes out with the death of Ahab, a very wicked king of the Northern Kingdom, and it is noteworthy to see the impact he and others happened to have on his son.
1 Kings 22:51-53 reads: “Ahaziah the son of Ahab became king over Israel... He did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin. So he served Baal and worshiped him and provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger, according to all that his father had done.”
OK, so Ahaziah’s primary influences were his father, his mother (Jezebel) and Jeroboam, who set the tone by which all other kings of Israel would be compared. If they did evil, the comparison was made to Jeroboam. Not that I think Ahab really cared that his son was wicked like him. Ahaziah, like so many others, followed the wrong king. He needed to follow THE King!
Earlier, in 1 Kings 20, Ahab says what might be the only wise thing he ever did, in referring to Ben-Hadad (of Aram): “Then the king of Israel replied, “Tell him (Ben-Hadad), ‘ Let not him who girds on his armor boast like him who takes it off.’”
I would summarize that statement like 1 Corinthians 10:12 says, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.” Ahab was proud, and he fell. The same would be said of all the Kings of Israel, until Assyria eliminated the nation.
First point is this. We can think we do everything right. It happens. The warning is to be careful, be very careful, because when we think we stand mighty and tall, pride can set in, and we can take our armor off when we need it on more than ever before.
Second point is to take stock in the influences we have on others, primarily our children, but even those who watch from a distance, or those who know of our reputation and tendencies. Jeroboam had an impact on generations and generations, based on his sin against the Lord. Not exactly the reputation he should have left behind.
Brothers and sisters, let’s pray today that we would honestly take heed at the influences we have even on us, and then turn to the next generation and leave to them the strongest Christian life we possibly can. “Good enough” does not work anymore. Actually, it never did.
It will truly take very strong Christians to carry the next generation. Who will pass it to them?
Any takers?
1 Kings 22:51-53 reads: “Ahaziah the son of Ahab became king over Israel... He did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin. So he served Baal and worshiped him and provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger, according to all that his father had done.”
OK, so Ahaziah’s primary influences were his father, his mother (Jezebel) and Jeroboam, who set the tone by which all other kings of Israel would be compared. If they did evil, the comparison was made to Jeroboam. Not that I think Ahab really cared that his son was wicked like him. Ahaziah, like so many others, followed the wrong king. He needed to follow THE King!
Earlier, in 1 Kings 20, Ahab says what might be the only wise thing he ever did, in referring to Ben-Hadad (of Aram): “Then the king of Israel replied, “Tell him (Ben-Hadad), ‘ Let not him who girds on his armor boast like him who takes it off.’”
I would summarize that statement like 1 Corinthians 10:12 says, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.” Ahab was proud, and he fell. The same would be said of all the Kings of Israel, until Assyria eliminated the nation.
First point is this. We can think we do everything right. It happens. The warning is to be careful, be very careful, because when we think we stand mighty and tall, pride can set in, and we can take our armor off when we need it on more than ever before.
Second point is to take stock in the influences we have on others, primarily our children, but even those who watch from a distance, or those who know of our reputation and tendencies. Jeroboam had an impact on generations and generations, based on his sin against the Lord. Not exactly the reputation he should have left behind.
Brothers and sisters, let’s pray today that we would honestly take heed at the influences we have even on us, and then turn to the next generation and leave to them the strongest Christian life we possibly can. “Good enough” does not work anymore. Actually, it never did.
It will truly take very strong Christians to carry the next generation. Who will pass it to them?
Any takers?
Monday, May 14, 2012
Can We Talk?
Christians and good communication should go hand-in-hand, or so it would seem. We spent some time yesterday evening in church discussing quenching the Spirit. We are warned not to do so, in 1 Thess 5:19, so it would seem that we CAN do this. Any honest Christian knows that we do this regularly, any time we sin.
The past month or so has brought numerous opportunities to communicate what could be unpleasant topics, opinions, or much-needed discussions. Personally, I seem to be more and more frustrated with Christians who appear to duck a conversation as opposed to simply saying what needs to be said, speaking the truth in love, and moving on for the cause of Christ. I'd love to say I have handled every conversation perfectly, and since I have already alluded to "honest Christians", I cannot claim that I have done so. Yet I need to strive to do so, knowing that the Lord will cover and govern those conversations, if I will allow His Spirit to work in and through me.
OK, rather than rip on poor communicators, I studied through some good communicators, so that I might learn some valuable lessons from God's perfectly inspired Word.
Barnabas - besides being the encourager he was, he had to be a good communicator. It was Barnabas who got the newly-converted Saul (Paul) introduced to the Jerusalem Christians. Undoubtedly he said what needed to be said to both Paul and the churches involved.
Paul - you can't read through his epistles and not notice how he spoke truth wherever he went, offering his opinions, standing firm where he needed to. He may have turned some off by his unwavering consistency, but that problem was theirs, not his.
Thomas - OK, I have to defend "the doubter" here. He needed proof of Jesus' resurrection, and if you read the account again, notice how the other 10 disciples had already seen the same proof when Thomas was absent. I give him great credit for speaking up and getting clarification when he needed it. It was Thomas in John 14 who told Jesus they did not know where He was going, and for that matter, how to get there. It was Thomas who made the exclamatory "My Lord and my God!" upon seeing the risen Christ. He said what needed to be said, and spoke when others sat by silent, as I see Thomas.
Priscilla and Acquila - They took a great speaker in Apollos, and helped him become a great theologian to go with his speaking, so that he could be a usable tool for the Lord. I credit both them and him for speaking, listening, and being will to communicate and grow.
John the Baptist - he lost his head for speaking the truth. And, just prior to that, he was bold and courageous to send followers to Christ, asking if He indeed was the waited-upon Messiah. Jesus could have been offended by the question, John could have cowered and kept silent. Neither happened; this is how believers speak to one another.
Peter - Brash? Sure. Bold? No doubt. Afraid to speak his mind? Never. All you need to know about Peter is to read his sermons in Acts, which came on the heels of his denial of Christ. He learned his lesson, and took every opportunity to speak when someone needed to stand up. He was wrong when he would not eat with Gentiles, and he took correction well from Paul. They communicated well, what needed to be said and heard.
Brothers and sisters, we could all do so much better communicating if we would simply let the Spirit work. This person won't get together with that person, either at church, over a bible study, in a small group or some other church setting, and we need to get over our own reasons and speak to one another truthfully, to help each other grow, sharpen one another.
Or perhaps we will put on the air of communicating by talking to others about the situations and struggles we face, while never including the parties that truly need to be involved. We go to church having these communication issues unresolved, and I cannot believe it pleases the Lord to come to His house to worship when "we have ought against a brother."
My prayer today is that we can ever more please the Lord by how we deal with one another, Christians to Christians. We must speak truth, and do so IN LOVE. If we can take love here, understanding it means selfless giving, then we WILL speak to each other properly, as we seek to put the interest of others before our own.
If we can't do it right, then who can?
The past month or so has brought numerous opportunities to communicate what could be unpleasant topics, opinions, or much-needed discussions. Personally, I seem to be more and more frustrated with Christians who appear to duck a conversation as opposed to simply saying what needs to be said, speaking the truth in love, and moving on for the cause of Christ. I'd love to say I have handled every conversation perfectly, and since I have already alluded to "honest Christians", I cannot claim that I have done so. Yet I need to strive to do so, knowing that the Lord will cover and govern those conversations, if I will allow His Spirit to work in and through me.
OK, rather than rip on poor communicators, I studied through some good communicators, so that I might learn some valuable lessons from God's perfectly inspired Word.
Barnabas - besides being the encourager he was, he had to be a good communicator. It was Barnabas who got the newly-converted Saul (Paul) introduced to the Jerusalem Christians. Undoubtedly he said what needed to be said to both Paul and the churches involved.
Paul - you can't read through his epistles and not notice how he spoke truth wherever he went, offering his opinions, standing firm where he needed to. He may have turned some off by his unwavering consistency, but that problem was theirs, not his.
Thomas - OK, I have to defend "the doubter" here. He needed proof of Jesus' resurrection, and if you read the account again, notice how the other 10 disciples had already seen the same proof when Thomas was absent. I give him great credit for speaking up and getting clarification when he needed it. It was Thomas in John 14 who told Jesus they did not know where He was going, and for that matter, how to get there. It was Thomas who made the exclamatory "My Lord and my God!" upon seeing the risen Christ. He said what needed to be said, and spoke when others sat by silent, as I see Thomas.
Priscilla and Acquila - They took a great speaker in Apollos, and helped him become a great theologian to go with his speaking, so that he could be a usable tool for the Lord. I credit both them and him for speaking, listening, and being will to communicate and grow.
John the Baptist - he lost his head for speaking the truth. And, just prior to that, he was bold and courageous to send followers to Christ, asking if He indeed was the waited-upon Messiah. Jesus could have been offended by the question, John could have cowered and kept silent. Neither happened; this is how believers speak to one another.
Peter - Brash? Sure. Bold? No doubt. Afraid to speak his mind? Never. All you need to know about Peter is to read his sermons in Acts, which came on the heels of his denial of Christ. He learned his lesson, and took every opportunity to speak when someone needed to stand up. He was wrong when he would not eat with Gentiles, and he took correction well from Paul. They communicated well, what needed to be said and heard.
Brothers and sisters, we could all do so much better communicating if we would simply let the Spirit work. This person won't get together with that person, either at church, over a bible study, in a small group or some other church setting, and we need to get over our own reasons and speak to one another truthfully, to help each other grow, sharpen one another.
Or perhaps we will put on the air of communicating by talking to others about the situations and struggles we face, while never including the parties that truly need to be involved. We go to church having these communication issues unresolved, and I cannot believe it pleases the Lord to come to His house to worship when "we have ought against a brother."
My prayer today is that we can ever more please the Lord by how we deal with one another, Christians to Christians. We must speak truth, and do so IN LOVE. If we can take love here, understanding it means selfless giving, then we WILL speak to each other properly, as we seek to put the interest of others before our own.
If we can't do it right, then who can?
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
People of Prayer
The past two Sundays for us found us intent on two amazing messages from the Psalms, 29 and 32, to be exact. Specifically, though, David's heart of repentance in Psalm 32 brought my mind to another amazing prayer by another hero of the faith, Daniel.
David, in Psalm 32, as in 51, knew he had sinned, and more importantly recognized that his sin was against God, as is all sin.
Daniel, in chapter 9 of his book, personalizes the sin of a nation, of a people, and we find some wonderful prayer elements in his conversation with God.
Daniel gives his attention to the Lord, to SEEK Him.
He confessed his sin - specifically - and properly compares men to God. God owns righteousness, while we own shame when we are in sin. Daniel recognized that God is faithful to His promises, even when that means carrying out judgment and justice on those He calls His own.
Daniel begs God to incline His ear, to please "stoop down and hear my plea", essentially. He begs the Lord to hear, and then begs Him to forgive.
But why do we think we can pray to God like these men did? OK, I realize God tells us to pray, and I agree, we most certainly should, yet why does God even care to listen? I have read Daniel many times, and the second half of verse 18 in his prayer in chapter 9 speaks volumes of God.
Daniel says "...for we are not presenting our supplications before You on account of any merits of our own, but on account of Your great compassion." (NASB)
Another translation says, "...for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies." (NKJV)
We pray to God because He is merciful, He is compassionate! How well we just saw Jeremiah pen the foundation for the hymn "Great is Thy Faithfulness", when he wrote "Because His compassions fail not" in Lamentations 3.
There is not much to add theologically to all this. Scripture speaks clearly as to how to pray, what to pray, and why we pray. So today, I am simply praying for God to help mold us into the prayer warriors He desires us to be.
David, in Psalm 32, as in 51, knew he had sinned, and more importantly recognized that his sin was against God, as is all sin.
Daniel, in chapter 9 of his book, personalizes the sin of a nation, of a people, and we find some wonderful prayer elements in his conversation with God.
Daniel gives his attention to the Lord, to SEEK Him.
He confessed his sin - specifically - and properly compares men to God. God owns righteousness, while we own shame when we are in sin. Daniel recognized that God is faithful to His promises, even when that means carrying out judgment and justice on those He calls His own.
Daniel begs God to incline His ear, to please "stoop down and hear my plea", essentially. He begs the Lord to hear, and then begs Him to forgive.
But why do we think we can pray to God like these men did? OK, I realize God tells us to pray, and I agree, we most certainly should, yet why does God even care to listen? I have read Daniel many times, and the second half of verse 18 in his prayer in chapter 9 speaks volumes of God.
Daniel says "...for we are not presenting our supplications before You on account of any merits of our own, but on account of Your great compassion." (NASB)
Another translation says, "...for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies." (NKJV)
We pray to God because He is merciful, He is compassionate! How well we just saw Jeremiah pen the foundation for the hymn "Great is Thy Faithfulness", when he wrote "Because His compassions fail not" in Lamentations 3.
There is not much to add theologically to all this. Scripture speaks clearly as to how to pray, what to pray, and why we pray. So today, I am simply praying for God to help mold us into the prayer warriors He desires us to be.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Lament, but Hope
"Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!"
I couldn't help but read Lamentations after finishing Jeremiah, as he records his lament over watching all that happened to Jerusalem and Judah at the hands of Babylon. And maybe we all are pretty familiar with this above hymn, and maybe even realize that it comes from Lamentations 3. However, check the context in which it is written.
First, Lamentations 2:14 again sums up a major part of Judah's problems. Their false prophets have not exposed Judah's sin. Old and New Testament texts alike are clear that man must humble himself, see his sin as God sees it, and repent. Judah's prophets preached just the opposite.
Lamentations 3:11-18, then, captures Jeremiah's state of mind, giving him ample excuse to give up. He is desolate, a laughingstock, rejected, forgotten happiness. He has proverbially been kicked in the teeth. And so now, watching Jerusalem succumb to God's wrath, he reminds himself of what we all know, and also often forget.
GOD IS FAITHFUL!
"Surely my soul remembers and is bowed down within me.
This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope.
The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.”
The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him.
It is good that he waits silently for the salvation of the LORD.
Chisholm goes on to pen in verse three of his poem:
"Pardon for sin, and a peace that endureth.
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide.
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside."
It takes a humble heart and a willing perseverance to live for the Lord. Judah did not recognize and own up to its sin. We can behave similarly, without much effort. My prayer to day is to take seriously the challenge of Jeremiah in Lamentations. 3:39-40.
"Why should any living mortal, or any man, offer complaint in view of his sins?
Let us examine and probe our ways, and let us return to the LORD."
Indeed.
Holding fast to the Word of our Creator
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!"
Thomas Chisholm, published 1923
I couldn't help but read Lamentations after finishing Jeremiah, as he records his lament over watching all that happened to Jerusalem and Judah at the hands of Babylon. And maybe we all are pretty familiar with this above hymn, and maybe even realize that it comes from Lamentations 3. However, check the context in which it is written.
First, Lamentations 2:14 again sums up a major part of Judah's problems. Their false prophets have not exposed Judah's sin. Old and New Testament texts alike are clear that man must humble himself, see his sin as God sees it, and repent. Judah's prophets preached just the opposite.
Lamentations 3:11-18, then, captures Jeremiah's state of mind, giving him ample excuse to give up. He is desolate, a laughingstock, rejected, forgotten happiness. He has proverbially been kicked in the teeth. And so now, watching Jerusalem succumb to God's wrath, he reminds himself of what we all know, and also often forget.
GOD IS FAITHFUL!
"Surely my soul remembers and is bowed down within me.
This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope.
The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.”
The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him.
It is good that he waits silently for the salvation of the LORD.
Lamentations 3:20-26
Chisholm goes on to pen in verse three of his poem:
"Pardon for sin, and a peace that endureth.
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide.
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside."
It takes a humble heart and a willing perseverance to live for the Lord. Judah did not recognize and own up to its sin. We can behave similarly, without much effort. My prayer to day is to take seriously the challenge of Jeremiah in Lamentations. 3:39-40.
"Why should any living mortal, or any man, offer complaint in view of his sins?
Let us examine and probe our ways, and let us return to the LORD."
Indeed.
Holding fast to the Word of our Creator
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