From II Chronicles 17 - 19:
1. Jehoshaphat was a wise leader (at least in the beginning), as he sent out teachers to further instruct the Israelite people in the way they should walk before the Lord. This is important, because just expunging the evil within the country was not enough (by destroying the idols - Asa did this). We have to do the same things in our lives. Not only should we rid our lives of evil habits and sinful behaviors, but additionally, we need to educate and train ourselves to do what is good and righteous. Otherwise we fall right back to doing the evil after a short period of time.
2. Marriage Issues Again! - The story of how Jehoshaphat affiliated himself with Ahab is interesting. First, I think that Jehoshaphat should have not allied himself with such an evil man. Second, I can see the reason that he allied himself with this evil king was due to his marriage relationship. He should not have allied himself through this marriage. God was merciful and did not allow Jehoshaphat to be killed in the battle with the Arameans, even though Jehoshaphat should not have been there at that time.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Finish strong!
From II Chronicles 13 - 16:
1. It is interesting to see how God helped Judah gain the victory over Israel in the battle mentioned in II Chronicles 13. Abijah trusted God and pointed out the error of the way that Israel had taken. He did not ignore the Israelites, but put God first. Even though Jeroboam used the time to set up a superior battle position, he still lost because of a lack of God's help. It illustrates that sometimes, when we are too busy worrying and planning to trust in God and call upon God to help, we still can lose the battle. Alternatively, if we just trust God and do what we can but always put Him first in what we are doing, he will provide us the victory.
2. Abijah, although he was more honorable than Jeroboam, still committed a sin similar to David and Solomon by taking on so many wives - exactly what the Lord told the Israelites not to let their kings do.
3. It is recorded here in II Chronicles 13 that God struck down Jeroboam. It is so sad to see that Jeroboam had the chance to pick up where David / Solomon left off, but instead had to build golden calves. He should have done what was pleasing to God.
4. Finish strong! - Asa started out right by destroying the idols that were leading people away from worshiping the one and only true God. Then, when he went into battle against the Cushites, he also did the right thing by calling upon the Lord at the start and seeking God's help. That is why he was successful in his conquest / campaign against them. Additionally, it also records that at another point he deposed his grandmother as queen mother because of an idol she had erected. However, he did not finish strong because he did not continue to call upon the Lord, instead relying on his own strength. Such a pity!
1. It is interesting to see how God helped Judah gain the victory over Israel in the battle mentioned in II Chronicles 13. Abijah trusted God and pointed out the error of the way that Israel had taken. He did not ignore the Israelites, but put God first. Even though Jeroboam used the time to set up a superior battle position, he still lost because of a lack of God's help. It illustrates that sometimes, when we are too busy worrying and planning to trust in God and call upon God to help, we still can lose the battle. Alternatively, if we just trust God and do what we can but always put Him first in what we are doing, he will provide us the victory.
2. Abijah, although he was more honorable than Jeroboam, still committed a sin similar to David and Solomon by taking on so many wives - exactly what the Lord told the Israelites not to let their kings do.
3. It is recorded here in II Chronicles 13 that God struck down Jeroboam. It is so sad to see that Jeroboam had the chance to pick up where David / Solomon left off, but instead had to build golden calves. He should have done what was pleasing to God.
4. Finish strong! - Asa started out right by destroying the idols that were leading people away from worshiping the one and only true God. Then, when he went into battle against the Cushites, he also did the right thing by calling upon the Lord at the start and seeking God's help. That is why he was successful in his conquest / campaign against them. Additionally, it also records that at another point he deposed his grandmother as queen mother because of an idol she had erected. However, he did not finish strong because he did not continue to call upon the Lord, instead relying on his own strength. Such a pity!
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Did God do this?
From II Chronicles 10 - 12:
1. I wonder why Jeroboam fled while Solomon was alive, but was not afraid to come back during at the beginning of the reign of his son? I mean, when Solomon took the reign from David, David instructed him about certain individuals that were a threat to the kingdom - see I Kings 2:5-10 for a reference. As a result of this, these enemies of the kingdom were put to death when Solomon took over the reign. One would think that Solomon would do likewise and instruct his son about his enemies (these are recorded in I Kings 11:14-40). I am guessing that Solomon had begun to lose the wisdom that God blessed him with. This began when he began following after the gods of his wives. God gives talents and blessings, but many forget that He can take them away just as easily as He gives them (Job 1:20b - "...The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away...") Otherwise one would think that Solomon would instruct his children about who his enemies were (and thus, enemies of the government). Then, when Jeroboam came back, he would have been walking right back to his demise.
2. We can see from Rehoboam and the way in which he chooses to respond that he is following the evil desires of his youth when he decides to follow the ill advice given by his young friends. Psalms 94:3-4 says this: "How long will the wicked, O LORD, how long will the wicked be jubilant? They pour out arrogant words; all the evildoers are full of boasting." Rehoboam was doing exactly this when he responded to the Israelites, being arrogant and boasting instead of being compassionate. (Psalms 112:4 emphasizes the importance of compassion and how God blesses those who are compassionate.)
Notice that both of the verses that I cited about the situation were found in Psalms. These were (likely) writings from David, or at least were likely available by the time of Rehoboam. Too bad that he did not read them.
3. Did God do this? - In II Chronicles 11:4, God tells the kingdom of Judah (as it would become after this split) not to go to war with what would become the kingdom of Israel. He says it is His doing (the split). Perhaps the appropriate way to phrase this would be that He allowed it because of Solomon's sins (and Rehoboam's subsequent arrogance / boasts). It is important to understand that all good things come from God. This was not a good thing for the Israelite nation, but it was as a result of sin, so God allowed it. This is similar to some of the bad things that have happened recently to the US. The planes that ran into the World Trade Centers were allowed to do this because the US (as a nation) has continued to walk apart from God (and continues to get further away).
4. In II Chronicles 12:13 it records that Rehoboam was 41 years old when he became king. If you refer back to item #2 you will see that Rehoboam acted immaturely and rashly. It is interesting to see how he acted so immaturely at the age of 41. I have always maintained that age is not always the best indicator of maturity, but rather the degree to which one follows God's word is more of an indicator. This is why I Timothy 4:12 instructs Timothy not to worry about his age, but rather to be an example for others to follow.
1. I wonder why Jeroboam fled while Solomon was alive, but was not afraid to come back during at the beginning of the reign of his son? I mean, when Solomon took the reign from David, David instructed him about certain individuals that were a threat to the kingdom - see I Kings 2:5-10 for a reference. As a result of this, these enemies of the kingdom were put to death when Solomon took over the reign. One would think that Solomon would do likewise and instruct his son about his enemies (these are recorded in I Kings 11:14-40). I am guessing that Solomon had begun to lose the wisdom that God blessed him with. This began when he began following after the gods of his wives. God gives talents and blessings, but many forget that He can take them away just as easily as He gives them (Job 1:20b - "...The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away...") Otherwise one would think that Solomon would instruct his children about who his enemies were (and thus, enemies of the government). Then, when Jeroboam came back, he would have been walking right back to his demise.
2. We can see from Rehoboam and the way in which he chooses to respond that he is following the evil desires of his youth when he decides to follow the ill advice given by his young friends. Psalms 94:3-4 says this: "How long will the wicked, O LORD, how long will the wicked be jubilant? They pour out arrogant words; all the evildoers are full of boasting." Rehoboam was doing exactly this when he responded to the Israelites, being arrogant and boasting instead of being compassionate. (Psalms 112:4 emphasizes the importance of compassion and how God blesses those who are compassionate.)
Notice that both of the verses that I cited about the situation were found in Psalms. These were (likely) writings from David, or at least were likely available by the time of Rehoboam. Too bad that he did not read them.
3. Did God do this? - In II Chronicles 11:4, God tells the kingdom of Judah (as it would become after this split) not to go to war with what would become the kingdom of Israel. He says it is His doing (the split). Perhaps the appropriate way to phrase this would be that He allowed it because of Solomon's sins (and Rehoboam's subsequent arrogance / boasts). It is important to understand that all good things come from God. This was not a good thing for the Israelite nation, but it was as a result of sin, so God allowed it. This is similar to some of the bad things that have happened recently to the US. The planes that ran into the World Trade Centers were allowed to do this because the US (as a nation) has continued to walk apart from God (and continues to get further away).
4. In II Chronicles 12:13 it records that Rehoboam was 41 years old when he became king. If you refer back to item #2 you will see that Rehoboam acted immaturely and rashly. It is interesting to see how he acted so immaturely at the age of 41. I have always maintained that age is not always the best indicator of maturity, but rather the degree to which one follows God's word is more of an indicator. This is why I Timothy 4:12 instructs Timothy not to worry about his age, but rather to be an example for others to follow.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
No Dewey Decimal System
From II Chronicles 7 - 9:
1. Can you imagine making a prayer and then seeing fire come down from heaven and consume the offering that you were making? Wow!!!! I think I would be talking about that for years and years in my testimony!
2. God promised to bless David's descendants. However, what God promised to Solomon (by speaking to him - another thing I would be talking about for years in my testimony) had definite conditions. He had to continue to follow God and not worship idols. God already knew what would happen, because I am sure that by this point Solomon had already begun taking too many wives.
3. I think II Chronicles 8:11 pretty much tells where the problem was going to be, as he built a separate place for his wife from Egypt, in spite of the fact that he had admitted by doing this that she would not be pleasing to God.
4. No Dewey Decimal System - It says that all the things Solomon did were recorded in the records of Nathan the prophet, the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and the visions of Iddo the seer. I wonder what happened to all these records. Did the royal librarian not do their job and keep these accounts safe? Or was it because they did not yet have the Dewey Decimal system?
5. I also wonder why it lists Iddo the seer's account regarding Jeroboam as having information about Solomon.
1. Can you imagine making a prayer and then seeing fire come down from heaven and consume the offering that you were making? Wow!!!! I think I would be talking about that for years and years in my testimony!
2. God promised to bless David's descendants. However, what God promised to Solomon (by speaking to him - another thing I would be talking about for years in my testimony) had definite conditions. He had to continue to follow God and not worship idols. God already knew what would happen, because I am sure that by this point Solomon had already begun taking too many wives.
3. I think II Chronicles 8:11 pretty much tells where the problem was going to be, as he built a separate place for his wife from Egypt, in spite of the fact that he had admitted by doing this that she would not be pleasing to God.
4. No Dewey Decimal System - It says that all the things Solomon did were recorded in the records of Nathan the prophet, the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and the visions of Iddo the seer. I wonder what happened to all these records. Did the royal librarian not do their job and keep these accounts safe? Or was it because they did not yet have the Dewey Decimal system?
5. I also wonder why it lists Iddo the seer's account regarding Jeroboam as having information about Solomon.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Indiana Jones Notes
From II Chronicles 4 - 6:
1. II Chronicles 3:18 says that there was quite a large number of bronze items made - to the point that the weight of the items could not be determined. I read recently that a group of archeologists found a place in Israel that was originally a place where there was a large amount of metal processing (perhaps it was bronze - I can't recall) and they directly attributed it to Solomon's time based upon some form of dating / aging.
2. It is interesting that it mentions bringing the Ark of the Lord's Covenant from Zion to Jerusalem. I wonder if that meant from a particular place in Jerusalem (like the forbidden city in China - bringing something into Beijing to there), or if there was some other meaning.
3. It again mentions that the Ark and Tent of Meeting were brought up - not sure from where. Another idea is that (since Jerusalem is on a hill, as I understand it) the Tent of Meeting / Ark were down below - maybe at the base of the hill or something along those lines.
4. It says that the amount of animals sacrificed could not even be counted. Now that is amazing! I wish everyone were as excited about serving God and giving to Him as they were at this time.
5. Indiana Jones Notes - At this point there was only the two tablets contained in the Ark. This might be valuable information if you are Indiana Jones - as you will be able to identify the real Ark vs. a fake.
6. The prayer recorded that Solomon made to God is really awesome. He mentions that only God can see the heart. This goes hand in hand with I Samuel 16:7.
7. It is interesting that Solomon even intercedes on the behalf of foreigners - that they also have the privilege of praying there to God and having their prayers be heard.
1. II Chronicles 3:18 says that there was quite a large number of bronze items made - to the point that the weight of the items could not be determined. I read recently that a group of archeologists found a place in Israel that was originally a place where there was a large amount of metal processing (perhaps it was bronze - I can't recall) and they directly attributed it to Solomon's time based upon some form of dating / aging.
2. It is interesting that it mentions bringing the Ark of the Lord's Covenant from Zion to Jerusalem. I wonder if that meant from a particular place in Jerusalem (like the forbidden city in China - bringing something into Beijing to there), or if there was some other meaning.
3. It again mentions that the Ark and Tent of Meeting were brought up - not sure from where. Another idea is that (since Jerusalem is on a hill, as I understand it) the Tent of Meeting / Ark were down below - maybe at the base of the hill or something along those lines.
4. It says that the amount of animals sacrificed could not even be counted. Now that is amazing! I wish everyone were as excited about serving God and giving to Him as they were at this time.
5. Indiana Jones Notes - At this point there was only the two tablets contained in the Ark. This might be valuable information if you are Indiana Jones - as you will be able to identify the real Ark vs. a fake.
6. The prayer recorded that Solomon made to God is really awesome. He mentions that only God can see the heart. This goes hand in hand with I Samuel 16:7.
7. It is interesting that Solomon even intercedes on the behalf of foreigners - that they also have the privilege of praying there to God and having their prayers be heard.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Meet Bob, my fireplace! And here is Charlene, our sofa!
From II Chronicles 1 - 3:
1. God was pleased that Solomon was interested in doing a good job with the task he had been given by God - that of being king. It is important that we try to do our best at the tasks that God gives us too, whether they include raising children, being a missionary or minister or working in a workplace somewhere. We should seek to do it with all of our heart, as unto the Lord - so that He will be pleased and His name will be glorified. It was because of this attitude that God blessed Solomon greatly with many other things.
2.Solomon does a great job of being a good witness early on - even the king of Tyre praises God for the fact that Solomon is a wise king. That should be the purpose of us doing a good job - not for our own praise, but rather so that God will be praised.
3. Being an alien in Israel meant hard work. However, I am wondering about this, because later we will see that the people of Israel complained to his son Rehoboam about all the work they had to do for Solomon. I am certain that the number of people listed is aliens, because God would have punished Solomon if he had counted the fighting men that David wanted to count (also the number is too small), but I am wondering what the rest of the Israelite people had to do in this effort (other than supervising).
4. I wonder what is significant about the gold of Parvaim. Is it more pure, of a better quality, or just harder to obtain? Could one tell from inspection that the gold was of this type?
5. Meet Bob, my fireplace! And here is Charlene, our sofa! - I also wonder why the pillars were named. Just suppose that we went around naming architectural features of our houses. What a different world it would be.
1. God was pleased that Solomon was interested in doing a good job with the task he had been given by God - that of being king. It is important that we try to do our best at the tasks that God gives us too, whether they include raising children, being a missionary or minister or working in a workplace somewhere. We should seek to do it with all of our heart, as unto the Lord - so that He will be pleased and His name will be glorified. It was because of this attitude that God blessed Solomon greatly with many other things.
2.Solomon does a great job of being a good witness early on - even the king of Tyre praises God for the fact that Solomon is a wise king. That should be the purpose of us doing a good job - not for our own praise, but rather so that God will be praised.
3. Being an alien in Israel meant hard work. However, I am wondering about this, because later we will see that the people of Israel complained to his son Rehoboam about all the work they had to do for Solomon. I am certain that the number of people listed is aliens, because God would have punished Solomon if he had counted the fighting men that David wanted to count (also the number is too small), but I am wondering what the rest of the Israelite people had to do in this effort (other than supervising).
4. I wonder what is significant about the gold of Parvaim. Is it more pure, of a better quality, or just harder to obtain? Could one tell from inspection that the gold was of this type?
5. Meet Bob, my fireplace! And here is Charlene, our sofa! - I also wonder why the pillars were named. Just suppose that we went around naming architectural features of our houses. What a different world it would be.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
A Note and three chapters
I again want to thank my faithful readers for reading more faithfully than I have been writing. I apologize. We will see how long I can sustain the effort to blog this time. God bless.
From I Chronicles 27 - 29:
1. In Chronicles 27:23 it says that David did not take the number of men below the age of 20. That is an interesting fact.
2.I had no idea that David had an uncle named Jonathan who was a man of insight.
3. I also never realized that David had a great hand in the original design of the Temple, though he did not actually build it himself.
From I Chronicles 27 - 29:
1. In Chronicles 27:23 it says that David did not take the number of men below the age of 20. That is an interesting fact.
2.I had no idea that David had an uncle named Jonathan who was a man of insight.
3. I also never realized that David had a great hand in the original design of the Temple, though he did not actually build it himself.
Friday, October 31, 2008
God promised to exalt Heman
From I Chronicles 24 - 26:
1. We are reminded in the start of Chapter 24 about Nadab and Abihu again. Refer to Leviticus 10 for the details on how they died if you do not recall. When they died God also instructed the priests serving before the Tabernacle that they were not to drink any wine or other fermented drink whenever they went to the house of meeting or they would die. He used them as an example to all the Israelites. God wants perfect holiness, as God is perfectly holy.
2. God promised to exalt Heman - And I always thought that meant that Heman would be really strong and powerful, but in reality it meant he had 14 sons and three daughters.
3. Each family had their own responsibilities. Some were prophets, while others were musicians, while others had to offer sacrifices at the temple, some had to tend the gates, and some even were assigned to care for the treasuries (similar to a modern-day banker, I guess). We are truly blessed in this country nowadays, as we can choose any profession that we so desire, independent of what our parents did. Back in the time that this was written, you were assigned a profession and you and your entire family then was responsible for that during one's entire life. No one asked if you wanted to do it.
1. We are reminded in the start of Chapter 24 about Nadab and Abihu again. Refer to Leviticus 10 for the details on how they died if you do not recall. When they died God also instructed the priests serving before the Tabernacle that they were not to drink any wine or other fermented drink whenever they went to the house of meeting or they would die. He used them as an example to all the Israelites. God wants perfect holiness, as God is perfectly holy.
2. God promised to exalt Heman - And I always thought that meant that Heman would be really strong and powerful, but in reality it meant he had 14 sons and three daughters.
3. Each family had their own responsibilities. Some were prophets, while others were musicians, while others had to offer sacrifices at the temple, some had to tend the gates, and some even were assigned to care for the treasuries (similar to a modern-day banker, I guess). We are truly blessed in this country nowadays, as we can choose any profession that we so desire, independent of what our parents did. Back in the time that this was written, you were assigned a profession and you and your entire family then was responsible for that during one's entire life. No one asked if you wanted to do it.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Something that costs nothing
From I Chronicles 21 - 23:
1. It is interesting that King David spoke to the Lord and God answered him with fire from heaven on the altar that David had built. This is very similar to what happened much later to Elijah when he had the showdown with the prophets of Baal. It must have been awesome to behold.
2. Something that costs nothing - I like how David would not take a freebie from Araunah when getting the threshing floor that he was using. Instead, in spite of Araunah's urging to the contrary, he paid a great amount of gold for it. David did not want to offer to God something that cost him nothing.
3. Apparently, according to this passage, David pleaded with God and asked God not to harm the people because, as he stated, "I am the one who has sinned, not the people". Yet God had exacted his justice on the people. I wonder why.
4. Although Job is in many places described as very violent, etc. - in this passage in Chapter 21 he is a voice of reason from God. He does not agree with numbering the fighting men and tells David. He also does not fully carry out David's command by not counting the Benjaminites and Levites.
5. David really helped Solomon greatly in getting everything prepared for the building of the temple of God.
1. It is interesting that King David spoke to the Lord and God answered him with fire from heaven on the altar that David had built. This is very similar to what happened much later to Elijah when he had the showdown with the prophets of Baal. It must have been awesome to behold.
2. Something that costs nothing - I like how David would not take a freebie from Araunah when getting the threshing floor that he was using. Instead, in spite of Araunah's urging to the contrary, he paid a great amount of gold for it. David did not want to offer to God something that cost him nothing.
3. Apparently, according to this passage, David pleaded with God and asked God not to harm the people because, as he stated, "I am the one who has sinned, not the people". Yet God had exacted his justice on the people. I wonder why.
4. Although Job is in many places described as very violent, etc. - in this passage in Chapter 21 he is a voice of reason from God. He does not agree with numbering the fighting men and tells David. He also does not fully carry out David's command by not counting the Benjaminites and Levites.
5. David really helped Solomon greatly in getting everything prepared for the building of the temple of God.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Just and Right
From I Chronicles 18 - 20:
1. Just and Right - I like how it tells that David "reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and right for all his people". I wish we could get a President who would do this. "Just" and "right" have left our culture due to special interest groups and lobbyists. I don't care which side of the fence you are on, that is a REAL issue that we face today.
Declining morality within the masses of this country, however, is a direct reflection upon the church's failure to effectively set a good example and actively seek to spread the gospel locally.
2. Hanun reminds me of Rehoboam - a grandson of David - who would become king in the future. He listened to the wisdom of his nobles but did not try to think about it for himself. Both Rehoboam and Hanun were big losers because they miscalculated how their actions would change the outcome. And both of them learned the hard way at a very early point in their careers.
3. It is neat to see how in many battles that were fought, there was someone who was instrumental in the victory. In I Chronicles 20 it talks about different battles with the Philistines and how someone each time stood up to a tough adversary and was successful. It shows that we just need to trust God, not fear and be willing to stand up in the face of death and danger.
1. Just and Right - I like how it tells that David "reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and right for all his people". I wish we could get a President who would do this. "Just" and "right" have left our culture due to special interest groups and lobbyists. I don't care which side of the fence you are on, that is a REAL issue that we face today.
Declining morality within the masses of this country, however, is a direct reflection upon the church's failure to effectively set a good example and actively seek to spread the gospel locally.
2. Hanun reminds me of Rehoboam - a grandson of David - who would become king in the future. He listened to the wisdom of his nobles but did not try to think about it for himself. Both Rehoboam and Hanun were big losers because they miscalculated how their actions would change the outcome. And both of them learned the hard way at a very early point in their careers.
3. It is neat to see how in many battles that were fought, there was someone who was instrumental in the victory. In I Chronicles 20 it talks about different battles with the Philistines and how someone each time stood up to a tough adversary and was successful. It shows that we just need to trust God, not fear and be willing to stand up in the face of death and danger.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
What about you, God?
From I Chronicles 15 - 17:
1. It is obvious from reading I Chronicles 15 that David learned his lesson after the incident with Uzzah. We always need to go back to the bible, God's word, and prayer when something happens we don't understand.
2. It is unfortunate that Michal was more concerned with appearances than heart matters. David was sincere, while Michal was keyed into appearances.
3. David was also generous and caring. He offered food to all the people after the blessing - something he did not have to do.
4. What about you, God? - Even though God had blessed him tremendously and given him victory on all sides, as well as tremendous success, yet he still was more concerned about the things of God. I hope that I can have this same attitude for all of my life also. God needs to be first in my life, and deserves to be. Anything and everything I have is because of His blessing. Nothing I have is because of anything that I have done. What is even better is that when God promises to bless David even further, he says, "Who am I that you should consider me?" David was a wonderful role model.
1. It is obvious from reading I Chronicles 15 that David learned his lesson after the incident with Uzzah. We always need to go back to the bible, God's word, and prayer when something happens we don't understand.
2. It is unfortunate that Michal was more concerned with appearances than heart matters. David was sincere, while Michal was keyed into appearances.
3. David was also generous and caring. He offered food to all the people after the blessing - something he did not have to do.
4. What about you, God? - Even though God had blessed him tremendously and given him victory on all sides, as well as tremendous success, yet he still was more concerned about the things of God. I hope that I can have this same attitude for all of my life also. God needs to be first in my life, and deserves to be. Anything and everything I have is because of His blessing. Nothing I have is because of anything that I have done. What is even better is that when God promises to bless David even further, he says, "Who am I that you should consider me?" David was a wonderful role model.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Too many wives?
From I Chronicles 12 - 14:
1. It is amazing that even among those who were from the same tribe as Saul defected to David and even became some of his most staunch supporters, becoming listed among the thirty (thirty of his most valiant men). It shows that David was more honorable than Saul, as even people from Saul's own tribe would "betray" him.
2. The way that David began to bring the ark to Jerusalem is depicted as being near the start of his reign. When Uzzah was killed by God for touching the ark, I bet it made David very concerned. God made David look bad in front of everyone. However, God is not concerned with a man's image - rather, he is concerned with his own holiness. God had commanded that the ark be carried by the Levites, not pulled on a cart drawn by oxen. Since His will was not followed, it is no surprise that bad things happened. Fortunately, after this incident blew over, David came to his senses and went ahead and brought the ark into Jerusalem.
3. It is neat to see that God blesses those who respect Him and serve Him. We see that while the ark was with Obed-Edom the Gittite, God blessed his house. This is in direct contrast to the Philistines, who served other gods and yet had the ark with them. Though they were both from other nations - if I am not mistaken, Gittites were not Israelites - God only blesses those who worship and honor Him.
4. Too many wives? - It could be argued that David did something improper in I Chronicles 14:3 when it talks about him taking more wives. The Lord had commanded the Israelites not to take many wives - specifically the kings - see Deuteronomy 17:16-17. Although David's wives did not lead him to serve other gods, his son Solomon emulated him and ended up taking many wives. In the end, Solomon's wives led him astray.
5. Fear is a powerful weapon. The bible tells us in the end of I Chronicles 14 that the Lord made all the nations fear David. Fear will cause people to do things that are not always rational.
1. It is amazing that even among those who were from the same tribe as Saul defected to David and even became some of his most staunch supporters, becoming listed among the thirty (thirty of his most valiant men). It shows that David was more honorable than Saul, as even people from Saul's own tribe would "betray" him.
2. The way that David began to bring the ark to Jerusalem is depicted as being near the start of his reign. When Uzzah was killed by God for touching the ark, I bet it made David very concerned. God made David look bad in front of everyone. However, God is not concerned with a man's image - rather, he is concerned with his own holiness. God had commanded that the ark be carried by the Levites, not pulled on a cart drawn by oxen. Since His will was not followed, it is no surprise that bad things happened. Fortunately, after this incident blew over, David came to his senses and went ahead and brought the ark into Jerusalem.
3. It is neat to see that God blesses those who respect Him and serve Him. We see that while the ark was with Obed-Edom the Gittite, God blessed his house. This is in direct contrast to the Philistines, who served other gods and yet had the ark with them. Though they were both from other nations - if I am not mistaken, Gittites were not Israelites - God only blesses those who worship and honor Him.
4. Too many wives? - It could be argued that David did something improper in I Chronicles 14:3 when it talks about him taking more wives. The Lord had commanded the Israelites not to take many wives - specifically the kings - see Deuteronomy 17:16-17. Although David's wives did not lead him to serve other gods, his son Solomon emulated him and ended up taking many wives. In the end, Solomon's wives led him astray.
5. Fear is a powerful weapon. The bible tells us in the end of I Chronicles 14 that the Lord made all the nations fear David. Fear will cause people to do things that are not always rational.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Did not hold fast
From I Chronicles 9 - 11:
1. This passage begins by giving us some insight into who is writing this book and when it is being written. It states that the people of Judah (someone among them must be writing this) had been taken captive to Babylon. So it is being written some time after that fact occurred.
2. I wonder why the author of Chronicles decided to start with the fall of Saul. I suppose it would illustrate how David became king and talk all about his reign - as he was arguably the greatest king that Israel ever had (to this point, anyways).
3. Did not hold fast - The end of Chapter 10 says clearly that Saul died because he was unfaithful to God. He did not remain true in his faith. However, I would point out that originally God chose him - so at one point he was doing what was pleasing to God.
4. It is really interesting to read about the mighty men that served David and helped to protect him / fight wars for Israel. Some of these guys did some amazing things.
1. This passage begins by giving us some insight into who is writing this book and when it is being written. It states that the people of Judah (someone among them must be writing this) had been taken captive to Babylon. So it is being written some time after that fact occurred.
2. I wonder why the author of Chronicles decided to start with the fall of Saul. I suppose it would illustrate how David became king and talk all about his reign - as he was arguably the greatest king that Israel ever had (to this point, anyways).
3. Did not hold fast - The end of Chapter 10 says clearly that Saul died because he was unfaithful to God. He did not remain true in his faith. However, I would point out that originally God chose him - so at one point he was doing what was pleasing to God.
4. It is really interesting to read about the mighty men that served David and helped to protect him / fight wars for Israel. Some of these guys did some amazing things.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Nothing bad will ever happen to me
I hope that all of my loyal readers have not given up on me. I had been quite busy this week and did not get many chances to post. I apologize. We will see how the coming week goes.
From I Chronicles 4 - 8:
1. Nothing bad will ever happen to me - I have not read the books about this particular passage, but I notice that I Chronicles 4:9-10 is what has been termed "The Prayer of Jabez". Whole books have been written regarding these two verses. Although I cannot speak to the content within the books, I want to point out some facts as recorded in this passage to my loyal readers.
First, Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. The passage does not tell us why, but it does tell us that he was more honorable.
Second, Jabez cried out to God for blessings. I think that there is not a person on earth who believes in God that does not do this. Everyone wants to be blessed. And anyone who truly believes in God prays to God asking for protection, blessing, etc.
Third, God granted his request. This is actually the key point. God is sovereign and all-knowing. In God's mercy and grace, he chose at that time to bless Jabez. However, consider the thoughts listed below.
A. As I mentioned, all believers cry to God for blessing. However, though it is not wrong to ask for God's blessing, many people are wrong in doing so because they are ONLY interested in God's blessing. They do not want to serve God, follow God, obey God, or be a living sacrifice for God.
B. I am relatively certain that Paul, Peter, John, James, Thomas, etc. asked for God's blessing too. Each one was tortured for their faith, and except for John, all died at the hands of evil men. (Actually, this is the greatest blessing if you read the beatitudes.)
C. Job was blessed by God, but at a certain time in his life, God removed all these so-called "blessings" to grow his faith and test him.
D. Lazarus in the story Jesus told was greatly blessed by God because he died and went to Abraham's side. However, in his life he "received bad things".
Our problem is that we misunderstand what it means to be blessed. Perhaps the beatitudes should be included in the Prayer of Jabez book. To be truly blessed does not always mean having plenty and living a life of luxury. The bible records this about the rich man who went to hell : There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. So think about what you mean when you ask for God's blessing. If you lose your job or you find yourself being persecuted because of your prayers, it is then that you should be praising God.
(I do not mean to infer that having wealth / comfort is wrong. However, one should refer to I Timothy 6:6-9,17-19, as well as James 1, paying special attention to verses 9-10.
The greatest blessing one can have is to be welcomed into heaven, to spend all eternity with our Lord Jesus Christ , while worshiping God the Father.
2. It is interesting to note that although Reuben was the firstborn of Jacob, he was not given the rights accompanying this position because he had slept with one of his father's wives. Instead, this position was given to Joseph's sons.
3. It is really cool to see how the Reubenites and Gadites were successful in battle because they cried out to the Lord. It says that many of their enemies were slain because "the battle was God's". Cool! That is how God responds to those who call upon him out of a pure heart!
4. I Chronicles 7:24 records that Sheerah, the daughter of either Ephriam or Beriah built Lower and Upper Beth Horon, as well as Uzzen Sheerah. Wow, the first female construction manager / general contractor! Additionally, we see shortly before this a mention of Zelophehad. His daughters were the ones who went before Joshua to successfully requested ownership of the land that was allotted their family, since their father had no sons.
From I Chronicles 4 - 8:
1. Nothing bad will ever happen to me - I have not read the books about this particular passage, but I notice that I Chronicles 4:9-10 is what has been termed "The Prayer of Jabez". Whole books have been written regarding these two verses. Although I cannot speak to the content within the books, I want to point out some facts as recorded in this passage to my loyal readers.
First, Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. The passage does not tell us why, but it does tell us that he was more honorable.
Second, Jabez cried out to God for blessings. I think that there is not a person on earth who believes in God that does not do this. Everyone wants to be blessed. And anyone who truly believes in God prays to God asking for protection, blessing, etc.
Third, God granted his request. This is actually the key point. God is sovereign and all-knowing. In God's mercy and grace, he chose at that time to bless Jabez. However, consider the thoughts listed below.
A. As I mentioned, all believers cry to God for blessing. However, though it is not wrong to ask for God's blessing, many people are wrong in doing so because they are ONLY interested in God's blessing. They do not want to serve God, follow God, obey God, or be a living sacrifice for God.
B. I am relatively certain that Paul, Peter, John, James, Thomas, etc. asked for God's blessing too. Each one was tortured for their faith, and except for John, all died at the hands of evil men. (Actually, this is the greatest blessing if you read the beatitudes.)
C. Job was blessed by God, but at a certain time in his life, God removed all these so-called "blessings" to grow his faith and test him.
D. Lazarus in the story Jesus told was greatly blessed by God because he died and went to Abraham's side. However, in his life he "received bad things".
Our problem is that we misunderstand what it means to be blessed. Perhaps the beatitudes should be included in the Prayer of Jabez book. To be truly blessed does not always mean having plenty and living a life of luxury. The bible records this about the rich man who went to hell : There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. So think about what you mean when you ask for God's blessing. If you lose your job or you find yourself being persecuted because of your prayers, it is then that you should be praising God.
(I do not mean to infer that having wealth / comfort is wrong. However, one should refer to I Timothy 6:6-9,17-19, as well as James 1, paying special attention to verses 9-10.
The greatest blessing one can have is to be welcomed into heaven, to spend all eternity with our Lord Jesus Christ , while worshiping God the Father.
2. It is interesting to note that although Reuben was the firstborn of Jacob, he was not given the rights accompanying this position because he had slept with one of his father's wives. Instead, this position was given to Joseph's sons.
3. It is really cool to see how the Reubenites and Gadites were successful in battle because they cried out to the Lord. It says that many of their enemies were slain because "the battle was God's". Cool! That is how God responds to those who call upon him out of a pure heart!
4. I Chronicles 7:24 records that Sheerah, the daughter of either Ephriam or Beriah built Lower and Upper Beth Horon, as well as Uzzen Sheerah. Wow, the first female construction manager / general contractor! Additionally, we see shortly before this a mention of Zelophehad. His daughters were the ones who went before Joshua to successfully requested ownership of the land that was allotted their family, since their father had no sons.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Just a story
From I Chronicles 1 - 3:
1. Just a story - There is extensive "page real-estate" attributed to genealogy - showing (in this case) from Adam up through King David's line. This not only gives us some idea of the amount of time passing, but it also lends credibility to the bible. If the bible were just a bunch of stories that someone made up, they would not bother with three chapters of genealogies explaining about people we had never heard of and the entire line. The writer would just give the details that were useful in the telling of the story. If you look at any story written, (successful, anyways) the author focuses on things that will lend to the story. Genealogy does none of this. In fact, it breaks it up unnecessarily.
2. I was recently doing research on some topics for a youth talk and I discovered some interesting things about our genetic makeup that I was not aware of before. There are two terms that all Christians should find extremely interesting:
Y-Chromosomal Adam
mitochondrial Eve
Now tell me that Adam / Eve and the Noah flood were just stories.
1. Just a story - There is extensive "page real-estate" attributed to genealogy - showing (in this case) from Adam up through King David's line. This not only gives us some idea of the amount of time passing, but it also lends credibility to the bible. If the bible were just a bunch of stories that someone made up, they would not bother with three chapters of genealogies explaining about people we had never heard of and the entire line. The writer would just give the details that were useful in the telling of the story. If you look at any story written, (successful, anyways) the author focuses on things that will lend to the story. Genealogy does none of this. In fact, it breaks it up unnecessarily.
2. I was recently doing research on some topics for a youth talk and I discovered some interesting things about our genetic makeup that I was not aware of before. There are two terms that all Christians should find extremely interesting:
Y-Chromosomal Adam
mitochondrial Eve
Now tell me that Adam / Eve and the Noah flood were just stories.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Neither before nor after
I hope that all of my readers had a wonderful weekend. I am very thankful for this last weekend. I was able to re-wire the lights for a portion of the hallway and upgrade from a T12 to a T8 ballast, hopefully saving the church a good bit of money on electric in the process. I know that the lights were at least brighter. I also discovered, through God's help, that the dimmers in the church sanctuary are having issues because (it would appear) of a problem with the communication wire going back to the sound "booth". I will test it another week or so to be sure.
We now get to observe one of my favorite kings in the history of Judah - Josiah.
From II Kings 22 - 25
1. We see that at the age of 24 (or so) Josiah was already very committed to following God whole-heartedly. What a great example to the young people of today. Today many youth forsake attending church and following God, and they only come back to God when they get into their 30s and have children / a family.
2. Neither before nor after - After reading up to II Kings 23:25, one can see why the bible says that there was neither a king before or after him who turned to the Lord with all of his heart, soul and strength. He went so far as to destroy the altars made by Solomon (destroying bad traditions) and even getting rid of household gods (even Rachel had one of these back before the twelve patriarchs were born). He also declared that the people should celebrate the Passover - something that had not been done in a very, very long time.
3. Unfortunately, Josiah could not turn God from the wrath that He had harbored due to the exceeding evil that Manasseh had committed. But God did note his extreme faithfulness. I wonder - if Josiah's son had been as committed as his father - would that have caused God to reconsider? Three or four generations of people continuing to follow God that whole-heartedly should make a difference.
4. I know that typically (especially in the US) it is thought to be bad if one is poor. However, those who were exceedingly poor during the time of the invasions of Babylon were blessed, because it was these very poor people who left behind to farm the land. However, even they were unfaithful and went to Egypt after there was a uprising against the leader left in the land by the Babylonians.
5. It is interesting that God had mercy upon Jehoiachin and allowed him later in life to eat at the king's table and have an allowance. Perhaps he was repentant after all that happened.
We now get to observe one of my favorite kings in the history of Judah - Josiah.
From II Kings 22 - 25
1. We see that at the age of 24 (or so) Josiah was already very committed to following God whole-heartedly. What a great example to the young people of today. Today many youth forsake attending church and following God, and they only come back to God when they get into their 30s and have children / a family.
2. Neither before nor after - After reading up to II Kings 23:25, one can see why the bible says that there was neither a king before or after him who turned to the Lord with all of his heart, soul and strength. He went so far as to destroy the altars made by Solomon (destroying bad traditions) and even getting rid of household gods (even Rachel had one of these back before the twelve patriarchs were born). He also declared that the people should celebrate the Passover - something that had not been done in a very, very long time.
3. Unfortunately, Josiah could not turn God from the wrath that He had harbored due to the exceeding evil that Manasseh had committed. But God did note his extreme faithfulness. I wonder - if Josiah's son had been as committed as his father - would that have caused God to reconsider? Three or four generations of people continuing to follow God that whole-heartedly should make a difference.
4. I know that typically (especially in the US) it is thought to be bad if one is poor. However, those who were exceedingly poor during the time of the invasions of Babylon were blessed, because it was these very poor people who left behind to farm the land. However, even they were unfaithful and went to Egypt after there was a uprising against the leader left in the land by the Babylonians.
5. It is interesting that God had mercy upon Jehoiachin and allowed him later in life to eat at the king's table and have an allowance. Perhaps he was repentant after all that happened.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
I don't care about the future
From II Kings 19 - 21:
1. It is awesome to see how God works. Hezekiah fully trusted the Lord that he would protect them and save them from the armies of Assyria, and he did!
2. I like how Hezekiah did not worry, but he immediately took his concern to the temple and spread it out before God to show God.
3. It is really amazing that God even extended the life of Hezekiah. He was truly blessed, because God gave him this type of extension. I cannot imagine any person who knows they are going to die not crying out to the Lord. Yet, typically God does not grant this type of request. I think that it illustrates where Hezekiah was in his walk with the Lord - how close he was and how devoted.
4. I don't care about the future - II Kings 20:19 is very troubling. I understand that Hezekiah was only worried about things during his lifetime. However, it is somewhat troubling that he would not inquire further of the message and try to do something to prevent the eminent demise of the nation. Not that I am sure there was anything that could be done, but he did not give it a second thought - rather, he only decided that it was good that there would not be trouble during his lifetime. I wonder: Was he having trouble with a rebellious son? Perhaps he felt that there was nothing he could do to reign in his son.
5. In II Kings 21 we see that it was indeed Hezekiah's son who really turned away from the Lord. He did not follow in God's ways, but rather turned the Israelites fully away so that they committed terrible things even worse than the nations that God helped the Israelites drive out when they possessed the promised land. I wonder if this could have been avoided if Hezekiah had taken a different attitude when God spared his life and then revealed to him a glimpse of the potential future.
1. It is awesome to see how God works. Hezekiah fully trusted the Lord that he would protect them and save them from the armies of Assyria, and he did!
2. I like how Hezekiah did not worry, but he immediately took his concern to the temple and spread it out before God to show God.
3. It is really amazing that God even extended the life of Hezekiah. He was truly blessed, because God gave him this type of extension. I cannot imagine any person who knows they are going to die not crying out to the Lord. Yet, typically God does not grant this type of request. I think that it illustrates where Hezekiah was in his walk with the Lord - how close he was and how devoted.
4. I don't care about the future - II Kings 20:19 is very troubling. I understand that Hezekiah was only worried about things during his lifetime. However, it is somewhat troubling that he would not inquire further of the message and try to do something to prevent the eminent demise of the nation. Not that I am sure there was anything that could be done, but he did not give it a second thought - rather, he only decided that it was good that there would not be trouble during his lifetime. I wonder: Was he having trouble with a rebellious son? Perhaps he felt that there was nothing he could do to reign in his son.
5. In II Kings 21 we see that it was indeed Hezekiah's son who really turned away from the Lord. He did not follow in God's ways, but rather turned the Israelites fully away so that they committed terrible things even worse than the nations that God helped the Israelites drive out when they possessed the promised land. I wonder if this could have been avoided if Hezekiah had taken a different attitude when God spared his life and then revealed to him a glimpse of the potential future.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Why would you want to do a thing like that?
From II Kings 16 - 18:
1. Why would you want to do a thing like that? I wonder why Ahaz would decide that it was better to worship idols than to serve the living God. And what would possess him to decide that sacrificing his own son would be a good idea? But yet I see our country, bolstered by a great abundance of God's blessings, following the ways of the world. I'm not talking about Republican / Democrat (because people who think that electing one over the other is going to change the world are suffering from an illusion - we've tried both parties and yet the country continues to slide downhill), I'm talking about everyday citizens who have decided that immoral practices are okay (living together out of wedlock, homosexuality) and that their own pleasures are more important than God's will. This is a direct result of the church not having done the job of spreading the gospel. And that means everyday Christians. I'm also not talking about beating people over the head with a bible. Show them God's love. Show them the pure life that comes as a result of being in tune with His will. And be prepared to give an answer.
I hope that it is not too late for Christians to make an impact in this country for good. But many "Christians" want to legislate Christianity instead. (Sorry, I'll get off my soapbox now.)
2. I wonder what Hoshea - the last king of Israel - did that made him unlike the kings of Israel before him. See II Kings 17:2.
3. It is interesting to see that when the Lord sent lions in among the new settlers of the land where the Israelites had previously been, they immediately realized that they needed to honor the "god" of the land. That is why they had a priest come back and teach them about the Lord. Although they did not worship only the one true God, they identified the source of the problem immediately. I wonder why the Israelites could not have identified the fact that they were falling away from God as the source of their problems. Perhaps it was the same as today in our country - we have rejected God, so we cannot see our problems are due to this very fact.
4. One of my biggest hopes in life is that God could record of me the same as he recorded of some of the kings like Hezekiah. It says, "Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to the LORD and did not cease to follow him; he kept the commands the LORD had given Moses." How cool would that be if God said there was no one like you among all the people of the US.
5. The king of Assyria's fatal flaw was that he thought that he was all powerful, when in reality we all know that only God is all powerful. He should have given the glory to God. But, since he did not, God chose to have mercy upon Judah and rescue Hezekiah and the nation of Judah.
1. Why would you want to do a thing like that? I wonder why Ahaz would decide that it was better to worship idols than to serve the living God. And what would possess him to decide that sacrificing his own son would be a good idea? But yet I see our country, bolstered by a great abundance of God's blessings, following the ways of the world. I'm not talking about Republican / Democrat (because people who think that electing one over the other is going to change the world are suffering from an illusion - we've tried both parties and yet the country continues to slide downhill), I'm talking about everyday citizens who have decided that immoral practices are okay (living together out of wedlock, homosexuality) and that their own pleasures are more important than God's will. This is a direct result of the church not having done the job of spreading the gospel. And that means everyday Christians. I'm also not talking about beating people over the head with a bible. Show them God's love. Show them the pure life that comes as a result of being in tune with His will. And be prepared to give an answer.
I hope that it is not too late for Christians to make an impact in this country for good. But many "Christians" want to legislate Christianity instead. (Sorry, I'll get off my soapbox now.)
2. I wonder what Hoshea - the last king of Israel - did that made him unlike the kings of Israel before him. See II Kings 17:2.
3. It is interesting to see that when the Lord sent lions in among the new settlers of the land where the Israelites had previously been, they immediately realized that they needed to honor the "god" of the land. That is why they had a priest come back and teach them about the Lord. Although they did not worship only the one true God, they identified the source of the problem immediately. I wonder why the Israelites could not have identified the fact that they were falling away from God as the source of their problems. Perhaps it was the same as today in our country - we have rejected God, so we cannot see our problems are due to this very fact.
4. One of my biggest hopes in life is that God could record of me the same as he recorded of some of the kings like Hezekiah. It says, "Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to the LORD and did not cease to follow him; he kept the commands the LORD had given Moses." How cool would that be if God said there was no one like you among all the people of the US.
5. The king of Assyria's fatal flaw was that he thought that he was all powerful, when in reality we all know that only God is all powerful. He should have given the glory to God. But, since he did not, God chose to have mercy upon Judah and rescue Hezekiah and the nation of Judah.
Thursday, October 09, 2008
God is merciful and slow to anger
It was a particularly busy day yesterday, but I did not get to enter anything. I apologize to all of my loyal readers. Such is the spiritual battle that we face every day.
From II Kings 13-15:
1. God is merciful and slow to anger - It is neat to see that even though the bible says that Jehoahaz was evil because he did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam led the Israelites into, God still had mercy on him when he sought God's face (see II Kings 13:4). It goes to show that God is an extremely merciful God, slow to anger and abounding in love. (See Psalms 86:15, Psalms 103:8 or Joel 2:13) (By the way, try reading Psalms 103 without being touched...it is hard.)
Additionally, I did a search for "slow to anger abounding in love" and the interesting thing is that it turned up all the results in the old testament. We tend to think of God as being much more unforgiving in the Old Testament; however, I think that it could be argued that the rules are much more stringent in the New Testament. See the sermon on the mount speech if you doubt this. However, God does not change, so he is always merciful and loving.
2. Jehoash is also recorded as having done evil in the eyes of the Lord for not having turned from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat. Nothing is mentioned about what these kings did wrong besides continuing in the idol worship that had been instituted generations before. I think it again re-iterates the need to evaluate customs and traditions to make sure that they are pleasing to God.
3. It is interesting to note that the king was judged according to his own actions. In chapter 14 it says that Amaziah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord; however, it also says that the people continued to worship at the high places that Solomon had built. Amaziah could have done even better if, in addition to what he did himself, he had led the people to also leave their lives of idol worship. This is in contrast to Jehoash, who not only allowed the people to worship idols, but participated in it also.
4. What a thing to be known for: Menahem ripped open all the pregnant women of Tiphsah. I wonder if the word Mayhem comes from Menahem.
From II Kings 13-15:
1. God is merciful and slow to anger - It is neat to see that even though the bible says that Jehoahaz was evil because he did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam led the Israelites into, God still had mercy on him when he sought God's face (see II Kings 13:4). It goes to show that God is an extremely merciful God, slow to anger and abounding in love. (See Psalms 86:15, Psalms 103:8 or Joel 2:13) (By the way, try reading Psalms 103 without being touched...it is hard.)
Additionally, I did a search for "slow to anger abounding in love" and the interesting thing is that it turned up all the results in the old testament. We tend to think of God as being much more unforgiving in the Old Testament; however, I think that it could be argued that the rules are much more stringent in the New Testament. See the sermon on the mount speech if you doubt this. However, God does not change, so he is always merciful and loving.
2. Jehoash is also recorded as having done evil in the eyes of the Lord for not having turned from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat. Nothing is mentioned about what these kings did wrong besides continuing in the idol worship that had been instituted generations before. I think it again re-iterates the need to evaluate customs and traditions to make sure that they are pleasing to God.
3. It is interesting to note that the king was judged according to his own actions. In chapter 14 it says that Amaziah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord; however, it also says that the people continued to worship at the high places that Solomon had built. Amaziah could have done even better if, in addition to what he did himself, he had led the people to also leave their lives of idol worship. This is in contrast to Jehoash, who not only allowed the people to worship idols, but participated in it also.
4. What a thing to be known for: Menahem ripped open all the pregnant women of Tiphsah. I wonder if the word Mayhem comes from Menahem.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Such a pity!
From II Kings 10 - 12:
1. Such a pity! - Jehu was very zealous for the Lord. He completely wiped Ahab's descendants off the face of the Earth. Because of this the Lord was pleased with him. However, he could've had so much more if he had only had enough wisdom, foresight and vision to destroy the evil traditions that Jeroboam had instituted. It just shows that in following God, we should examine even our traditions to make sure that they are pleasing to God. If they are not, we need to cast them aside and form new traditions.
2. I wonder why Ahaziah's sister Jehosheba was so interested in preserving Ahaziah's legacy, risking her own life to hide one of his children to be a future king. Was she at odds with her mother, Athaliah? One would've thought she would be happier with her mother reigning without contest, especially since it might mean that in the future she might get a shot at the throne.
3. I am guessing that at seven years old the king did not really make many decisions of any import, as he was so young. Likely the officials surrounding him took care of all the matters of state and such. I wonder - this likely being the case - why they didn't declare the baby king shortly after Athaliah took control. Why wait seven years?
4. The bible tells us that Joash took all of the sacred objects that were dedicated to the Lord, as well as many things of value out of the temple in order to pay off Hazael so that he would not besiege Jerusalem. I wonder what would have happened if he had sought out God to protect them instead of buying out his enemies. Would God have honored his requests for protection? Because although the people had continued in their evil, idol-worshiping ways, God typically would honor those who sought Him first.
1. Such a pity! - Jehu was very zealous for the Lord. He completely wiped Ahab's descendants off the face of the Earth. Because of this the Lord was pleased with him. However, he could've had so much more if he had only had enough wisdom, foresight and vision to destroy the evil traditions that Jeroboam had instituted. It just shows that in following God, we should examine even our traditions to make sure that they are pleasing to God. If they are not, we need to cast them aside and form new traditions.
2. I wonder why Ahaziah's sister Jehosheba was so interested in preserving Ahaziah's legacy, risking her own life to hide one of his children to be a future king. Was she at odds with her mother, Athaliah? One would've thought she would be happier with her mother reigning without contest, especially since it might mean that in the future she might get a shot at the throne.
3. I am guessing that at seven years old the king did not really make many decisions of any import, as he was so young. Likely the officials surrounding him took care of all the matters of state and such. I wonder - this likely being the case - why they didn't declare the baby king shortly after Athaliah took control. Why wait seven years?
4. The bible tells us that Joash took all of the sacred objects that were dedicated to the Lord, as well as many things of value out of the temple in order to pay off Hazael so that he would not besiege Jerusalem. I wonder what would have happened if he had sought out God to protect them instead of buying out his enemies. Would God have honored his requests for protection? Because although the people had continued in their evil, idol-worshiping ways, God typically would honor those who sought Him first.
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