Oh, how I long for heaven, and Isaiah 6 makes me wish even more to be in the presence of God. This world is not my home, and there are lots of things that make me sad and uncomfortable here. While I love being with my family and friends, I’m ready to skip to the end of the story when Jesus comes to take all the Believers to His heavenly kingdom. Trent makes fun of me because I always read the last page of any book before I actually get to the end. Usually I read two or three chapters, and then I flip to the back page to find out if my predictions about the conclusion are going to come true. Trent thinks that ruins the story, but it doesn’t for me. I don’t really like surprises, and I don’t like being kept in suspense. I want to know what’s coming around the corner at me. So, knowing the end of the story keeps me reading because I know what to expect. And if it’s a really great story, then I can hardly read fast enough. Well, God’s story of mankind is absolutely the best story I have ever read, and I’ve read it through several times, and it gets better with each reading. The end of the story tells me that because Jesus is my Savior I will get to live with Him in heaven for eternity. I can hardly wait, girls. The suspense is killing me!
Isaiah’s vision makes me hungry for a glimpse of God’s throne room. One of our youth group leaders in high school would often lead us in an extended time of meditation and prayer. She taught us to seek God’s presence. Even in a room full of teenagers, she helped us learn how to get alone with God so we could hear His voice and fall on our faces before His throne. Honestly, I haven’t done that in a long time. I let the distractions of this world drown out the voice of my heavenly Father calling me into peaceful relationship with Him. Even in my own living room, I find it difficult to quiet my spirit in order to commune with the Holy Spirit.
In 6:5 Isaiah recognizes that he is not worthy to be in the presence of the Holy God. None of us deserves an audience with the King of kings and Lord of Lords. But praise Jesus, He invites us to come boldly before His throne of grace! (Heb. 4:16) In Isaiah 6:6-7, the seraph cleanses Isaiah’s sin with a hot coal from the altar. You and I can have our sin washed away by the blood of Christ on the cross. Have you asked Him to cleanse your heart? Won’t you ask Him today?
After we come into God’s presence and He changes us to be more like Christ, then we must be ready to answer His call to go out. Come in, grow up, go out. This is the new pattern our women’s ministry plans to follow. We are good at inviting everyone to come just as they are, and now we want to help women grow in their relationship to God so that they can go out and serve their world. Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” (vs 8)
The rest of the story is a tough pill to swallow. Isaiah has answered the call to follow God, and God tells Isaiah that the job is going to be impossible. Isaiah will preach the message of salvation to people who will refuse to listen to him. They will be cruel to him and spit in his face. Their land will be destroyed and forsaken by God. Isaiah was asked to take on a thankless ministry, one doomed to failure in the eyes of the world. Would you and I readily accept such an assignment? I sincerely doubt it. Our family just moved to Oklahoma to minister to a very loving church. They have already blessed our socks off, as my husband would say! If God had told us to move some place where people were unfriendly, I am certain we would have said no. If God had told us that the people would never love us and that they would not respond to the messages God puts on Trent’s heart to deliver, would we have come? No, because in the church of today, we measure success just like the world does. We measure in numbers and in good feelings. So, if God has placed you in a thankless ministry, I want to encourage you today. Measure success according to God’s standard. He is looking for obedient hearts that are willing to follow Him even when the road is hard. Seek His face, and enjoy His approval instead of man’s.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Isaiah 2
Isaiah 2:3b--"He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." God is our teacher. Are we being diligent students of His Word? We are always whining about not knowing what God is going to do. Let's start listening to the Spirit's voice telling us, "This is the way, walk ye in it." (Isaiah 30:21)
Isaiah 2:6--"Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD." "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." (Ps. 119:105) O house of Jacob refers to God's people. God's Word to His people is the Bible, and when we read it, we receive direction concerning where God wants us to go and what He wants us to do. A lamp, however, gives light for only one or two steps at a time. Therefore, we must trust God with the big map of our lives as we obediently follow Him one step at a time, one day at a time.
Isaiah 2:6-9 is a very thought-provoking passage. It begins by saying God has abandoned His people, but it continues by saying that the land is full, full of superstitions, full of silver and gold, full of treasures, full of horses and chariots, full of idols. It ends by saying mankind will be humbled. The Jews believed that God's blessing brought prosperity, yet these verses indicate prosperity did not satisfy their longing for relationship with God. I can see this reflected in our own day and time. Our society is full of supersitions, silver, gold, treasures, material wealth, and idols, but our souls are not satisfied because prosperity does not equal relationship to our Creator God. My prayer for our nation is that we (myself included) will stop longing for wealth and financial stability and that we will start chasing after a love relationship with the One True God. Mankind will be humbled. I would much rather bow down willingly before God's throne than to beg for His mercy after tragedy has struck.
Three times this chapter tells us to hide "from the dread of the LORD and the splendor of his majesty." (vs. 10, 19, & 21) My first thought was, "Oh, but I want to see God's majesty!" But not in the context of His judgment on mankind. He is the God who melts mountains and rises to shake the earth. I think we would all want to run and hide in the hills when the wrath of God is unleashed. Praise Jesus because of His sacrifice, which allows us to stand clean before the throne of judgment. We don't often realize the significance of Christ taking our place. He endured the wrath of God so we wouldn't have to. Because of Jesus, I do not have to run and hide from the Father. Hallelujah!
Isaiah 2:11-12 talk of the day of the LORD. The arrogant and proud will be humbled in that day because the LORD alone will be exalted. Let's exalt His Name in our day, ladies. As my husband says, "I want to be at the head of the parade. I don't want to be at the back of the parade."
Isaiah 2:22--"Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?" Who or what am I trusting in instead of trusting in God? People? Job? Finances? My own abilities? Of what account is any of it? I'm trusting in Christ, the Solid Rock! Will you join me?
Isaiah 2:6--"Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD." "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." (Ps. 119:105) O house of Jacob refers to God's people. God's Word to His people is the Bible, and when we read it, we receive direction concerning where God wants us to go and what He wants us to do. A lamp, however, gives light for only one or two steps at a time. Therefore, we must trust God with the big map of our lives as we obediently follow Him one step at a time, one day at a time.
Isaiah 2:6-9 is a very thought-provoking passage. It begins by saying God has abandoned His people, but it continues by saying that the land is full, full of superstitions, full of silver and gold, full of treasures, full of horses and chariots, full of idols. It ends by saying mankind will be humbled. The Jews believed that God's blessing brought prosperity, yet these verses indicate prosperity did not satisfy their longing for relationship with God. I can see this reflected in our own day and time. Our society is full of supersitions, silver, gold, treasures, material wealth, and idols, but our souls are not satisfied because prosperity does not equal relationship to our Creator God. My prayer for our nation is that we (myself included) will stop longing for wealth and financial stability and that we will start chasing after a love relationship with the One True God. Mankind will be humbled. I would much rather bow down willingly before God's throne than to beg for His mercy after tragedy has struck.
Three times this chapter tells us to hide "from the dread of the LORD and the splendor of his majesty." (vs. 10, 19, & 21) My first thought was, "Oh, but I want to see God's majesty!" But not in the context of His judgment on mankind. He is the God who melts mountains and rises to shake the earth. I think we would all want to run and hide in the hills when the wrath of God is unleashed. Praise Jesus because of His sacrifice, which allows us to stand clean before the throne of judgment. We don't often realize the significance of Christ taking our place. He endured the wrath of God so we wouldn't have to. Because of Jesus, I do not have to run and hide from the Father. Hallelujah!
Isaiah 2:11-12 talk of the day of the LORD. The arrogant and proud will be humbled in that day because the LORD alone will be exalted. Let's exalt His Name in our day, ladies. As my husband says, "I want to be at the head of the parade. I don't want to be at the back of the parade."
Isaiah 2:22--"Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?" Who or what am I trusting in instead of trusting in God? People? Job? Finances? My own abilities? Of what account is any of it? I'm trusting in Christ, the Solid Rock! Will you join me?
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Isaiah 1
Isaiah 1:2—“I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me.” I know several parents who brought up their children to know God, but the children have chosen to rebel. Even God’s children rebelled against Him. So, parents keep praying fervently for your prodigal children, but quit beating yourselves up about it. As our children grow up, they become responsible for their own choices. Let’s follow God’s example of loving our children continuously, but remember that sometimes our children need tough love. Be sure you are not enabling your children to continue living in sin. Get out of the way and let God have His way in their lives.
Isaiah 1:13—“Stop bringing meaningless offerings!” Ouch. Anyone else feel convicted? I think our poor excuses for not serving and worshiping wholeheartedly are meaningless offerings. “Sorry I didn’t have time to do Bible study this week. I was just too tired.” “Sorry I didn’t come to church for worship. I had a long week at work.” “Sorry I can’t help with that mission project. I have to stay home and watch Dancing with the Stars.”
Isaiah 1:15—“When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen.” Have you ever been guilty of telling someone God always hears their prayers? I have. According to this scripture, God will not listen to us when we have sin in our lives. Verses 16-17 say, “Stop doing wrong, learn to do right!” Until we confess and turn from our sin, God is not obligated to listen to us. By the way, God is not obligated to give us everything we ask for, even when we have made ourselves clean before Him. In America, we feel entitled to whatever pleases us. We act like spoiled brats when God doesn’t give us the answer we want when we want it. That’s dangerous!
Isaiah 1:18—“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” I love this verse! God wants to heal the relationship we have with Him. He does not want our sin to be an obstacle in our lives. So, He offers us the perfect solution. Through the blood of Christ, God washes our sins away and makes us clean. All we have to do is come to Him as humble children, and He will forgive us completely. Why do we make it difficult? Verse 19 says we must be “willing and obedient.” Instead, we “resist and rebel” as in verse 20. Oh, stubborn heart. . . .
The relationship between God and His people became a vicious cycle, and Isaiah 1:21-31 describes it well. The people would sin (v. 21-23), and God would wipe them out (v. 24-25). Then God would restore His people to righteousness (25-27), but the people would return to their familiar sins (v. 28-31). Do you and I have any familiar sins we slip back into after God has faithfully restored our relationship with Him? Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any pet sins in your life. Ask Him to cleanse your heart and teach you to do right. Stay faithful to God one day at a time. The rewards will be great!
We will read Isaiah chapters 2 & 6 next. Thanks for reading along.
Isaiah 1:13—“Stop bringing meaningless offerings!” Ouch. Anyone else feel convicted? I think our poor excuses for not serving and worshiping wholeheartedly are meaningless offerings. “Sorry I didn’t have time to do Bible study this week. I was just too tired.” “Sorry I didn’t come to church for worship. I had a long week at work.” “Sorry I can’t help with that mission project. I have to stay home and watch Dancing with the Stars.”
Isaiah 1:15—“When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen.” Have you ever been guilty of telling someone God always hears their prayers? I have. According to this scripture, God will not listen to us when we have sin in our lives. Verses 16-17 say, “Stop doing wrong, learn to do right!” Until we confess and turn from our sin, God is not obligated to listen to us. By the way, God is not obligated to give us everything we ask for, even when we have made ourselves clean before Him. In America, we feel entitled to whatever pleases us. We act like spoiled brats when God doesn’t give us the answer we want when we want it. That’s dangerous!
Isaiah 1:18—“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” I love this verse! God wants to heal the relationship we have with Him. He does not want our sin to be an obstacle in our lives. So, He offers us the perfect solution. Through the blood of Christ, God washes our sins away and makes us clean. All we have to do is come to Him as humble children, and He will forgive us completely. Why do we make it difficult? Verse 19 says we must be “willing and obedient.” Instead, we “resist and rebel” as in verse 20. Oh, stubborn heart. . . .
The relationship between God and His people became a vicious cycle, and Isaiah 1:21-31 describes it well. The people would sin (v. 21-23), and God would wipe them out (v. 24-25). Then God would restore His people to righteousness (25-27), but the people would return to their familiar sins (v. 28-31). Do you and I have any familiar sins we slip back into after God has faithfully restored our relationship with Him? Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any pet sins in your life. Ask Him to cleanse your heart and teach you to do right. Stay faithful to God one day at a time. The rewards will be great!
We will read Isaiah chapters 2 & 6 next. Thanks for reading along.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Joel 2, Jonah 1, Amos 3, Micah 1-2
I know, I know. That's a lot to read, and not much of it is fun reading either. All of these prophets foretold of the Lord's judgment on the Israelites. I'm not an expert in prophecy; so I can't tell you if these prophecies have all been fulfilled already or if they are still a part of the last day judgments to come. So, here's how I'm going to blog these passages. I have chosen one verse from each passage that really jumped off the page, and I am going to write about each of those verses. If you find other verses you like better, I hope you will post a comment and let us know. We don't want to miss out on any of God's blessings from His Word.
Did you read all the chapters? Okay then, let's get started!
Joel 2:13-14--"Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing."
You and I typically do not mourn for our sin like the Israelites did. They would tear (rend) their clothes and put ashes on their heads or wear sackcloth (an itchy, uncomfortable garment) as an outward sign that they were sorry for their sins. Joel was telling them that the repentance needed to be of the heart, not merely an outward show for everyone to see. Frankly, you and I do not take our personal sins that seriously. We think God should have a forgive and forget attitude whether we get on our faces to ask forgiveness or not. We jump right to the idea of God being gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in love, showing us pity, and blessing. What about the idea that God has every right to send calamity on our families because of the sinful choices we make every day? Who knows? He may have pity on us, but should He if we are not willing to beg for mercy in the first place? We do serve a merciful God, but we should never take His goodness for granted. Get on your knees before Jesus in humility because you love Him and because you want to serve Him with your life.
Jonah 1:14c--"for you, O LORD, have done as you pleased."
Did you catch that? It pleased God to send a storm and a big fish to swallow Jo-Jo-Jo-Jo-Jo-Jo-Jonah. (Sorry, I started singing the song I learned in Sunday School.) Why would it please God to send calamity on Jonah? Because Jonah was living in direct disobedience to the will of God. Doesn't God want to bless His children with good gifts? Absolutely, but does that mean He won't spank our hineys and put us in a three-day timeout? Uh . . . evidently not.
Amos 3:7--"Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets."
Micah 1:3-4--"Look! The LORD is coming from his dwelling place; he comes down and treads the high places of the earth. The mountains melt beneath him and the valleys split apart, like wax before the fire, like water rushing down a slope."
Now, that's what I'm talkin' 'bout! I want to serve the God who melts mountains and splits valleys! When God comes to rescue me from the mess I'm in, I don't want Him sitting in His rocking chair telling the angels to get me a band-aid. I want His Holy Presence coming from His dwelling place. Absolutely! However, I want Him coming after my enemies. I don't want God to come down from His throne because He aims to discipline my unrepentant heart. Think about this. When the principal walked into the classroom at your elementary school, did you want to be the bad kid he was after, or did you want to be the kid who had already fessed up to the teacher? I want to be the child of God who confesses sin immediately and gets back on the straight and narrow without having to be forced. Invite God to step into your life today, ladies. The things you fear will melt like wax before the fire, like water rushing down a slope.
Okay, I want to hear from you now. Did I pick your favorite verses, or did I miss a goodie?
Did you read all the chapters? Okay then, let's get started!
Joel 2:13-14--"Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing."
You and I typically do not mourn for our sin like the Israelites did. They would tear (rend) their clothes and put ashes on their heads or wear sackcloth (an itchy, uncomfortable garment) as an outward sign that they were sorry for their sins. Joel was telling them that the repentance needed to be of the heart, not merely an outward show for everyone to see. Frankly, you and I do not take our personal sins that seriously. We think God should have a forgive and forget attitude whether we get on our faces to ask forgiveness or not. We jump right to the idea of God being gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in love, showing us pity, and blessing. What about the idea that God has every right to send calamity on our families because of the sinful choices we make every day? Who knows? He may have pity on us, but should He if we are not willing to beg for mercy in the first place? We do serve a merciful God, but we should never take His goodness for granted. Get on your knees before Jesus in humility because you love Him and because you want to serve Him with your life.
Jonah 1:14c--"for you, O LORD, have done as you pleased."
Did you catch that? It pleased God to send a storm and a big fish to swallow Jo-Jo-Jo-Jo-Jo-Jo-Jonah. (Sorry, I started singing the song I learned in Sunday School.) Why would it please God to send calamity on Jonah? Because Jonah was living in direct disobedience to the will of God. Doesn't God want to bless His children with good gifts? Absolutely, but does that mean He won't spank our hineys and put us in a three-day timeout? Uh . . . evidently not.
Amos 3:7--"Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets."
Cool! As God's servants, we should be hearing from God about his plan for mankind. If we aren't, then maybe we should check our connection. Is yours plagued with static like mine has been? Get yourself a journal and turn off your music and get alone with God. Ask Him to reveal His heart to you so you can share it with the world. Then when He gives you a word, no matter how difficult it may be to swallow, you go be obedient and spread that word to your fellow men. If we don't share, then why should God share with us? The purpose of a prophet was to get God's word to the people. The word was never for the prophet alone.
Micah 1:3-4--"Look! The LORD is coming from his dwelling place; he comes down and treads the high places of the earth. The mountains melt beneath him and the valleys split apart, like wax before the fire, like water rushing down a slope."
Now, that's what I'm talkin' 'bout! I want to serve the God who melts mountains and splits valleys! When God comes to rescue me from the mess I'm in, I don't want Him sitting in His rocking chair telling the angels to get me a band-aid. I want His Holy Presence coming from His dwelling place. Absolutely! However, I want Him coming after my enemies. I don't want God to come down from His throne because He aims to discipline my unrepentant heart. Think about this. When the principal walked into the classroom at your elementary school, did you want to be the bad kid he was after, or did you want to be the kid who had already fessed up to the teacher? I want to be the child of God who confesses sin immediately and gets back on the straight and narrow without having to be forced. Invite God to step into your life today, ladies. The things you fear will melt like wax before the fire, like water rushing down a slope.
Okay, I want to hear from you now. Did I pick your favorite verses, or did I miss a goodie?
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
2 Chronicles 24-26
Same song, second verse. 2 Chronicles 24 is a repeat of 2 Kings 12. I just want to point out a couple of verses that caught my attention.
Verse 10—“All the officials and all the people brought their contributions gladly, dropping them into the chest until it was full.” Do you bring your tithes and offerings to church gladly? Being able to give back to the LORD a portion of what He has blessed you with should be an important part of your worship. My husband and I always make sure our tithe check is the first one we write on payday. We want to offer God the firstfruits of our labor, not the leftovers. God pours out His richest blessings in our lives when we honor Him first. Will you thank God next time you write a check for a tenth of your income as an offering to Him? Or will you continue to grumble that the church only wants your money? Become an active participant in worship at your church and give gladly to God.
I was surprised at the contrast between Jehoiada and Joash in 2 Chronicles. The 2 Kings passage did not point out some of the details. For example, in 2 Chronicles 24:16, we are told that Jehoiada was buried with the kings because of the good he had done in Israel for God and his temple. In 24:15 we are told that Joash was buried, but not in the tombs of the kings. Jehoiada the priest was buried with the kings. Joash the king was not. This tells me that my position in life does not determine my potential to impact my world. Joash did not use his high position to bring about good. Jehoaida used his humble position to effect positive change. Will you and I allow God to use us in our homes and workplaces today? Will you “bloom where you are planted?”
2 Chronicles 24-26 tells us the story of three kings of Judah: Joash, Amaziah, and Uzziah. The Bible says all three of these kings “did what was right in the eyes of the LORD.” The Bible also tells us the names of the mothers of these three kings: Zibiah, Jehoaddin, and Jecoliah. I think it is totally cool that the three good kings of Judah all had moms who were worth mentioning. Usually the females were not listed in the genealogies. Behind every great world leader is a great mom. I wanna be that kind of mom!
2 Chronicles 25:2 tells us that Amaziah “did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not wholeheartedly.” Are you and I serving Jesus wholeheartedly? I do not want to be known as a half-hearted Christian. I’m fairly certain that would be the type of person Jesus mentioned in Revelation 3:16. A half-hearted Christian makes Jesus sick to His stomach. Does my service in God’s kingdom make Him joyful, or does it make Him want to vomit?
2 Chronicles 25:5-12 happens to be an example of Amaziah doing the right thing, but only after a man of God confronted him. Amaziah counted his soldiers in Judah and came up with 300,000 men. He decided to hire 100,000 more soldiers from Israel. The man of God told Amaziah that he needed to send the Israelite troops home because the LORD was not with Israel. “God has the power to help or to overthrow.” (v. 8) I think we have broached this subject before. Verses like this mess with our postmodern theology. We think God is always going to be on our side to help us out of the battles we get ourselves into. It’s time for us to wake up and realize that when we face strong resistance, it is very possible that God sent the opposition to bring our disobedient hearts to a halt. Where are you facing hardship? Instead of blaming it all on the devil, take a second look to make sure you are hearing God’s voice on the issue.
Then Amaziah was worried about the 100 talents he had paid to hire the troops. “The man of God replied, “The LORD can give you much more than that.” (v. 9) Amen! Why do I worry about petty financial losses when I know for a fact that God can give me much more? Amaziah did the right thing and sent the Israelites home, and God helped Judah win the battle. Unfortunately, the disgruntled Israelites ransacked several towns on their way home. Amaziah then did the stupid thing by bowing down to the gods of Edom. “The anger of the LORD burned against Amaziah, and he sent a prophet to him, who said, ‘Why do you consult this people’s gods, which could not save their own people from your hand?’” (v. 15) Instead of listening to the godly prophet, Amaziah consulted his own advisers who told him to pick a fight with Israel. What a sad way to end his kingly reign, in direct disobedience to the Word of God.
2 Chronicles 26 is the story of King Uzziah. He became king when he was only 16, and he depended heavily on men like Zechariah and Isaiah to give him godly wisdom. This Zechariah was not the guy who wrote an Old Testament book. The author of Zechariah was born in Babylonian exile a couple hundred years later. Isaiah, however, mentions Uzziah in Isaiah 6:1—“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the LORD, seated on a throne, high and lifted up . . . .” 2 Chronicles 26:22 mentions the prophet Isaiah.
2 Chronicles 26:5 is a very telling verse, “As long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success.” Let’s seek the LORD, ladies! Verse 16 is even more telling, “But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall.” Dear Jesus, keep me humble! Honestly, this subject has been a personal battle. In my younger days, I was overly self-confident and prideful. I pretty much thought I was God’s gift to mankind. Lately, however, the enemy has been filling my head with lies telling me that I have nothing important to offer and that I should sit down and shut up. Pray for me that I will listen to God’s voice instead.
Okay, we have waded our way through most of the kings of Israel and Judah. Next, we are going to hop, skip, and jump through the prophets. We will start with Joel, Jonah, Amos and Micah. If you need a copy of the reading plan we are following, go to the following link at biblegateway.com. Print it out and carry it in your Bible so you can read along with us. Thanks again for joining me on this journey!
Verse 10—“All the officials and all the people brought their contributions gladly, dropping them into the chest until it was full.” Do you bring your tithes and offerings to church gladly? Being able to give back to the LORD a portion of what He has blessed you with should be an important part of your worship. My husband and I always make sure our tithe check is the first one we write on payday. We want to offer God the firstfruits of our labor, not the leftovers. God pours out His richest blessings in our lives when we honor Him first. Will you thank God next time you write a check for a tenth of your income as an offering to Him? Or will you continue to grumble that the church only wants your money? Become an active participant in worship at your church and give gladly to God.
I was surprised at the contrast between Jehoiada and Joash in 2 Chronicles. The 2 Kings passage did not point out some of the details. For example, in 2 Chronicles 24:16, we are told that Jehoiada was buried with the kings because of the good he had done in Israel for God and his temple. In 24:15 we are told that Joash was buried, but not in the tombs of the kings. Jehoiada the priest was buried with the kings. Joash the king was not. This tells me that my position in life does not determine my potential to impact my world. Joash did not use his high position to bring about good. Jehoaida used his humble position to effect positive change. Will you and I allow God to use us in our homes and workplaces today? Will you “bloom where you are planted?”
2 Chronicles 24-26 tells us the story of three kings of Judah: Joash, Amaziah, and Uzziah. The Bible says all three of these kings “did what was right in the eyes of the LORD.” The Bible also tells us the names of the mothers of these three kings: Zibiah, Jehoaddin, and Jecoliah. I think it is totally cool that the three good kings of Judah all had moms who were worth mentioning. Usually the females were not listed in the genealogies. Behind every great world leader is a great mom. I wanna be that kind of mom!
2 Chronicles 25:2 tells us that Amaziah “did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not wholeheartedly.” Are you and I serving Jesus wholeheartedly? I do not want to be known as a half-hearted Christian. I’m fairly certain that would be the type of person Jesus mentioned in Revelation 3:16. A half-hearted Christian makes Jesus sick to His stomach. Does my service in God’s kingdom make Him joyful, or does it make Him want to vomit?
2 Chronicles 25:5-12 happens to be an example of Amaziah doing the right thing, but only after a man of God confronted him. Amaziah counted his soldiers in Judah and came up with 300,000 men. He decided to hire 100,000 more soldiers from Israel. The man of God told Amaziah that he needed to send the Israelite troops home because the LORD was not with Israel. “God has the power to help or to overthrow.” (v. 8) I think we have broached this subject before. Verses like this mess with our postmodern theology. We think God is always going to be on our side to help us out of the battles we get ourselves into. It’s time for us to wake up and realize that when we face strong resistance, it is very possible that God sent the opposition to bring our disobedient hearts to a halt. Where are you facing hardship? Instead of blaming it all on the devil, take a second look to make sure you are hearing God’s voice on the issue.
Then Amaziah was worried about the 100 talents he had paid to hire the troops. “The man of God replied, “The LORD can give you much more than that.” (v. 9) Amen! Why do I worry about petty financial losses when I know for a fact that God can give me much more? Amaziah did the right thing and sent the Israelites home, and God helped Judah win the battle. Unfortunately, the disgruntled Israelites ransacked several towns on their way home. Amaziah then did the stupid thing by bowing down to the gods of Edom. “The anger of the LORD burned against Amaziah, and he sent a prophet to him, who said, ‘Why do you consult this people’s gods, which could not save their own people from your hand?’” (v. 15) Instead of listening to the godly prophet, Amaziah consulted his own advisers who told him to pick a fight with Israel. What a sad way to end his kingly reign, in direct disobedience to the Word of God.
2 Chronicles 26 is the story of King Uzziah. He became king when he was only 16, and he depended heavily on men like Zechariah and Isaiah to give him godly wisdom. This Zechariah was not the guy who wrote an Old Testament book. The author of Zechariah was born in Babylonian exile a couple hundred years later. Isaiah, however, mentions Uzziah in Isaiah 6:1—“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the LORD, seated on a throne, high and lifted up . . . .” 2 Chronicles 26:22 mentions the prophet Isaiah.
2 Chronicles 26:5 is a very telling verse, “As long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success.” Let’s seek the LORD, ladies! Verse 16 is even more telling, “But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall.” Dear Jesus, keep me humble! Honestly, this subject has been a personal battle. In my younger days, I was overly self-confident and prideful. I pretty much thought I was God’s gift to mankind. Lately, however, the enemy has been filling my head with lies telling me that I have nothing important to offer and that I should sit down and shut up. Pray for me that I will listen to God’s voice instead.
Okay, we have waded our way through most of the kings of Israel and Judah. Next, we are going to hop, skip, and jump through the prophets. We will start with Joel, Jonah, Amos and Micah. If you need a copy of the reading plan we are following, go to the following link at biblegateway.com. Print it out and carry it in your Bible so you can read along with us. Thanks again for joining me on this journey!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
2 Kings 11-12
2 Kings 11:1—“When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family.” Treacherous! It is really hard for me to write about women like Athaliah. In fact, if I were doing this chronological study by myself rather than on my public blog, I probably would have read this passage and then moved on without processing it too much. I don’t understand women like Athaliah who seek fame and success at the cost of their families. I cannot relate to the idea of a woman who would have her children and grandchildren killed so that she could ascend to the throne. You and I would never annihilate our families. Would we? Do we ever devastate our families with our harsh words? Do we ever slay our husbands or children with an evil stare? Do our nasty attitudes tear down the spiritual protection we should be providing for our families? God is reminding me that there is a little bit of Athaliah in each one of us. Let’s pray for God’s strength to allow the Holy Spirit to rule our lives instead.
Hurray for Jehosheba, the aunt of Joash! She took the risk to hide her nephew from the wrath of the queen mother. I was wondering how Athaliah didn’t find Joash. I guess she must not have gone to worship at the Lord’s temple too often. I also wonder if she even knew she had a grandson named Joash. Verse 3 says they hid him for six years, and verse 21 says Joash was seven years old when he began to reign. He was a newborn when Jehosheba took him into hiding. Wow! Can you imagine having a seven-year-old rule your country?
Hurray for Jehoiada the priest! He took the risk to bring Joash to the throne. If God told you to anoint a seven-year-old as king to overthrow his grandmother, would you be obedient?? And I always pictured priests as being meek and mild. Ha! Not Jehoiada. He was a warrior priest. Hurray for Jehoiada! He took the risk of being a mentor to Joash. “Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him.” (2 Kings 12:2) Who are you mentoring?
Joash decided to have the priests repair the temple. They collected money, but they didn’t do any repairs. Ha! That sounds like me. I like to save money, but I don’t like to spend it. Anyway, when Joash turned 30, he finally confronted Jehoiada and told him to quit hoarding and start putting the money to good use. So Jehoiada used the money to hire carpenters and builders. I thought 2 Kings 12:15 was really interesting—“They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty.” Wow! I wish we all acted with complete honesty today. Let’s make a pact to be people of our word.
The Scriptures do not tell us any other accomplishments of Joash except that he repaired the temple. 2 Chronicles 24 tells the rest of the story concerning the assassination of Joash. Joash turned against God’s law after his mentor Jehoiada passed away. That is so sad. Once again we have an example of a king who did not stay close to God as he grew older. I don’t want us to repeat that pattern in our lives. Let’s hold one another accountable to staying true to our faith in the Living God.
Hurray for Jehosheba, the aunt of Joash! She took the risk to hide her nephew from the wrath of the queen mother. I was wondering how Athaliah didn’t find Joash. I guess she must not have gone to worship at the Lord’s temple too often. I also wonder if she even knew she had a grandson named Joash. Verse 3 says they hid him for six years, and verse 21 says Joash was seven years old when he began to reign. He was a newborn when Jehosheba took him into hiding. Wow! Can you imagine having a seven-year-old rule your country?
Hurray for Jehoiada the priest! He took the risk to bring Joash to the throne. If God told you to anoint a seven-year-old as king to overthrow his grandmother, would you be obedient?? And I always pictured priests as being meek and mild. Ha! Not Jehoiada. He was a warrior priest. Hurray for Jehoiada! He took the risk of being a mentor to Joash. “Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him.” (2 Kings 12:2) Who are you mentoring?
Joash decided to have the priests repair the temple. They collected money, but they didn’t do any repairs. Ha! That sounds like me. I like to save money, but I don’t like to spend it. Anyway, when Joash turned 30, he finally confronted Jehoiada and told him to quit hoarding and start putting the money to good use. So Jehoiada used the money to hire carpenters and builders. I thought 2 Kings 12:15 was really interesting—“They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty.” Wow! I wish we all acted with complete honesty today. Let’s make a pact to be people of our word.
The Scriptures do not tell us any other accomplishments of Joash except that he repaired the temple. 2 Chronicles 24 tells the rest of the story concerning the assassination of Joash. Joash turned against God’s law after his mentor Jehoiada passed away. That is so sad. Once again we have an example of a king who did not stay close to God as he grew older. I don’t want us to repeat that pattern in our lives. Let’s hold one another accountable to staying true to our faith in the Living God.
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