2 Kings 17

WEEK  7                                               2 Kings 17

MONDAY  Reflections

Here ends the kingdom of Israel. The northern tribes are captives. This chapter lists their crimes and what God had done. In the end, one priest of God was released to teach people about God. From this developed a people who feared God but also worshiped other gods.

 

Judah was left, but their day was also coming. They too would be judged. Judah had some good kings who led the people back to God; Israel had none and thus faced judgment sooner. God tried again and again to reach Israel, but they didn't return. Judah returned, but only for short periods; then they too returned to false gods. 

2Ki 17:1-41
(1)  In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years.
(2)  And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as the kings of Israel that were before him.
(3)  Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave him presents.
(4)  And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea: for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and brought no present to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison.
(5)  Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.
(6)  In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
(7)  For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods,
(8)  And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made.
(9)  And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the LORD their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.
(10)  And they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree:
(11)  And there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the LORD carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger:
(12)  For they served idols, whereof the LORD had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing.
(13)  Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.
(14)  Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God.
(15)  And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them.
(16)  And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.
(17)  And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
(18)  Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.
(19)  Also Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made.
(20)  And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight.
(21)  For he rent Israel from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king: and Jeroboam drave Israel from following the LORD, and made them sin a great sin.
(22)  For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them;
(23)  Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day.
(24)  And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.
(25)  And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which slew some of them.
(26)  Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land.
(27)  Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land.
(28)  Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the LORD.
(29)  Howbeit every nation made gods of their own, and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities wherein they dwelt.
(30)  And the men of Babylon made Succothbenoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,
(31)  And the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.
(32)  So they feared the LORD, and made unto themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places.
(33)  They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence.
(34)  Unto this day they do after the former manners: they fear not the LORD, neither do they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law and commandment which the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel;
(35)  With whom the LORD had made a covenant, and charged them, saying, Ye shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them:
(36)  But the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and a stretched out arm, him shall ye fear, and him shall ye worship, and to him shall ye do sacrifice.
(37)  And the statutes, and the ordinances, and the law, and the commandment, which he wrote for you, ye shall observe to do for evermore; and ye shall not fear other gods.
(38)  And the covenant that I have made with you ye shall not forget; neither shall ye fear other gods.
(39)  But the LORD your God ye shall fear; and he shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.
(40)  Howbeit they did not hearken, but they did after their former manner.
(41)  So these nations feared the LORD, and served their graven images, both their children, and their children's children: as did their fathers, so do they unto this day.

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Ezekiel 12

WEEK 6                                              Ezekiel 12

SATURDAY  Reflections

God has Ezekiel give a live illustration. He is to demonstrate a people going into exile. God even has him digging a hole through the city wall. He had the message he was to give these people when they saw him going out. Unfortunately, the people didn't want to hear or see the truth.

The people are so blind that they say the prophets are speaking, but nothing is happening. What really shocks me is that the people saying this are in exile. Twice, Babylon has defeated Judah and Jerusalem. Twice have people been taken into captivity. Twice, they have seen what has been prophesied taking place, and now they are saying nothing is happening. How blind can they be? They are like a person stuck on a sinking ship saying well we haven't drowned yet, so the ship must not be sinking. God is going to wipe away all doubt.

Eze 12:1-28
(1)  The word of the LORD also came unto me, saying,
(2)  Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house.
(3)  Therefore, thou son of man, prepare thee stuff for removing, and remove by day in their sight; and thou shalt remove from thy place to another place in their sight: it may be they will consider, though they be a rebellious house.
(4)  Then shalt thou bring forth thy stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for removing: and thou shalt go forth at even in their sight, as they that go forth into captivity.
(5)  Dig thou through the wall in their sight, and carry out thereby.
(6)  In their sight shalt thou bear it upon thy shoulders, and carry it forth in the twilight: thou shalt cover thy face, that thou see not the ground: for I have set thee for a sign unto the house of Israel.
(7)  And I did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for captivity, and in the even I digged through the wall with mine hand; I brought it forth in the twilight, and I bare it upon my shoulder in their sight.
(8)  And in the morning came the word of the LORD unto me, saying,
(9)  Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said unto thee, What doest thou?
(10)  Say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; This burden concerneth the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel that are among them.
(11)  Say, I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done unto them: they shall remove and go into captivity.
(12)  And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes.
(13)  My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there.
(14)  And I will scatter toward every wind all that are about him to help him, and all his bands; and I will draw out the sword after them.
(15)  And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in the countries.
(16)  But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the heathen whither they come; and they shall know that I am the LORD.
(17)  Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
(18)  Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with carefulness;
(19)  And say unto the people of the land, Thus saith the Lord GOD of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and of the land of Israel; They shall eat their bread with carefulness, and drink their water with astonishment, that her land may be desolate from all that is therein, because of the violence of all them that dwell therein.
(20)  And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be desolate; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
(21)  And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
(22)  Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth?
(23)  Tell them therefore, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say unto them, The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision.
(24)  For there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel.
(25)  For I am the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord GOD.
(26)  Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
(27)  Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off.
(28)  Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; There shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord GOD.

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Nahum 1

                                          

WEEK 6                                              Nahum 1

FRIDAY  Reflections

The book of Nahum is filled with the prophecy against Israel's greatest enemy, Assyria, and its capital, Nineveh. The book is a real downer for fans of Nineveh in Jonah, the city that at one time repented. However, one of the things that really stand out is God’s promises to those who trust Him. Verse seven of chapter one reminds us that God is good and He cares for those who trust Him. We see again in the middle of destruction, God promises to do what is right for those who love Him. 

Here is a link to a great video to understand Nahum: https://youtu.be/Y30DanA5EhU


Nah 1:1-15
(1)  The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.
(2)  God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth, and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.
(3)  The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
(4)  He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth.
(5)  The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein.
(6)  Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him.
(7)  The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.
(8)  But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies.
(9)  What do ye imagine against the LORD? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time.
(10)  For while they be folden together as thorns, and while they are drunken as drunkards, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry.
(11)  There is one come out of thee, that imagineth evil against the LORD, a wicked counsellor.
(12)  Thus saith the LORD; Though they be quiet, and likewise many, yet thus shall they be cut down, when he shall pass through. Though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more.
(13)  For now will I break his yoke from off thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder.
(14)  And the LORD hath given a commandment concerning thee, that no more of thy name be sown: out of the house of thy gods will I cut off the graven image and the molten image: I will make thy grave; for thou art vile.

(15)  Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off.

2 Corinthians 2

WEEK 6                                     2 Corinthians 2

THURSDAY  Reflections

Paul admonishes the people to forgive the person who has caused trouble in their midst. The hope is that this person might be made right with God and with the people. Paul implies that holding onto unforgiveness will give Satan an advantage over the church. Whenever there is anger and unforgiveness in a church, it gives Satan an advantage. I remember a church board member describing a board meeting as Satan coming right in and taking charge because of a disagreement.

 

Unforgiveness is never an option for the believer. It is always a weapon of the Devil. The person who is most hurt by unforgiveness is the one who refuses to forgive.    

2Co 2:1-17
(1)  But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness.
(2)  For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me?
(3)  And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all.
(4)  For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.
(5)  But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all.
(6)  Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.
(7)  So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.
(8)  Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.
(9)  For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.
(10)  To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;
(11)  Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
(12)  Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord,
(13)  I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother: but taking my leave of them, I went from thence into Macedonia.
(14)  Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.
(15)  For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:
(16)  To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?
(17)  For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

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Proverbs 22

WEEK  6                                      Proverbs 22

WEDNESDAY  Reflections

The sluggard says, "There's a lion outside! I'll be killed in the public square!" Proverbs 22:13

 

This fear here could be real. If you lived in a village on the edge of the Judean countryside in Solomon's time, a lion could be a real concern. However, what I noticed in this scripture is not that fear is making this person lazy, but a lazy person is using fear to justify their lack of activity.

 

People still do this today. I don't want to belittle real fear. Fear is hard to deal with. I am not trying to point a finger, but placing a mirror. You might look in and say, "No, that's not me." or you might look in the mirror and see something you may need to change.

 

The person in this scripture is saying things like, "I'm going to get fired anyway, why try?"  "They hate people like me, why apply for the job?" or "My work will never be good enough, so why waste my time?" and the like.

 

I will admit, at times, I fight the idea that my work isn't good enough. Maybe when you read this, you will say, " You're right, it isn't that good."

 

However, at least I am not using fear as an excuse not to try.

 

Here is my thought, the more we give in to the fear of "what may happen" the stronger fear becomes.

 

Yes, there may be a monster blocking your way, but then again, the monster might not be as big as you think. The only way to know is to go and find out. One thing is certain: if you don't go out "into the square," you will never succeed. You will only become lazy (or lazier).

 

Don't use fear as an excuse. Don’t allow fear to hold you back. 

Pro 22:1-29

(1)  A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.

(2)  The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all.

(3)  A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.

(4)  By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.

(5)  Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them.

(6)  Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

(7)  The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

(8)  He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail.

(9)  He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.

(10)  Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.

(11)  He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend.

(12)  The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, and he overthroweth the words of the transgressor.

(13)  The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.

(14)  The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall therein.

(15)  Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

(16)  He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want.

(17)  Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.

(18)  For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips.

(19)  That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee.

(20)  Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge,

(21)  That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?

(22)  Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate:

(23)  For the LORD will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.

(24)  Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go:

(25)  Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.

(26)  Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts.

(27)  If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?

(28)  Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.

(29)  Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.