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.

2 Kings 16

WEEK  6                                                2 Kings 16

TUESDAY  Reflections

Ahaz was so wicked that he caused his sons to pass through the fire. In this ritual, babies were passed over a fire and placed on the hands of the god Moloch (Molech). If they survived, they were considered worthy. Ahaz stole from God's temple to bribe (pay tribute to) Assyria, though he probably didn't think of it that way. He also fashioned an idol/altar based on what he saw in the conquered city of Damascus and installed it in the temple. He commanded the priest to offer a sacrifice to false gods. 

2Ki 16:1-20
(1)  In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.
(2)  Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD his God, like David his father.
(3)  But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.
(4)  And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.
(5)  Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him.
(6)  At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day.
(7)  So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, saying, I am thy servant and thy son: come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which rise up against me.
(8)  And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria.
(9)  And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin.
(10)  And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus: and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof.
(11)  And Urijah the priest built an altar according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus: so Urijah the priest made it against king Ahaz came from Damascus.
(12)  And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the king approached to the altar, and offered thereon.
(13)  And he burnt his burnt offering and his meat offering, and poured his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings, upon the altar.
(14)  And he brought also the brasen altar, which was before the LORD, from the forefront of the house, from between the altar and the house of the LORD, and put it on the north side of the altar.
(15)  And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meat offering, and the king's burnt sacrifice, and his meat offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice: and the brasen altar shall be for me to enquire by.
(16)  Thus did Urijah the priest, according to all that king Ahaz commanded.
(17)  And king Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from off them; and took down the sea from off the brasen oxen that were under it, and put it upon a pavement of stones.
(18)  And the covert for the sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king's entry without, turned he from the house of the LORD for the king of Assyria.
(19)  Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
(20)  And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.

Photo by 🇸🇮 Janko Ferlič - @specialdaddy on Unsplash

2 Kings 15

WEEK  6                                             2 Kings 15

MONDAY  Reflections

The Gold Standard, the best rating, for a king was when it was said he was like David. This didn't mean he was perfect, but the king's attitude and actions reflected the best of David's reign. The Silver Standard was that he did right in the sight of the Lord. This lower standard would go on and say either “like their father” or “not as David.” This second rating was saying that the king did good and his attitude was right, but he failed in other areas, usually in the arena of enforcing the worship of God alone.

 

Failure for a king is seen in the words “he did evil in the sight of the Lord.” These kings didn't worship God and usually did horrible things to their people. The Northern tribes, Israel, only had failures as kings.  

 

In this chapter, we see two mediocre kings for Judah and wicked king after wicked king in Israel. What I notice here is what was becoming the common method of ascension to the throne in Israel: assassination. When gaining power is done repeatedly by murder, one can only wonder how cheap life has become in Israel. When you read the prophets, you get the answer. 

2Ki 15:1-38
(1)  In the twenty and seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel began Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah to reign.
(2)  Sixteen years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned two and fifty years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem.
(3)  And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done;
(4)  Save that the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burnt incense still on the high places.
(5)  And the LORD smote the king, so that he was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house. And Jotham the king's son was over the house, judging the people of the land.
(6)  And the rest of the acts of Azariah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
(7)  So Azariah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead.
(8)  In the thirty and eighth year of Azariah king of Judah did Zachariah the son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six months.
(9)  And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
(10)  And Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and smote him before the people, and slew him, and reigned in his stead.
(11)  And the rest of the acts of Zachariah, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
(12)  This was the word of the LORD which he spake unto Jehu, saying, Thy sons shall sit on the throne of Israel unto the fourth generation. And so it came to pass.
(13)  Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the nine and thirtieth year of Uzziah king of Judah; and he reigned a full month in Samaria.
(14)  For Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah, and came to Samaria, and smote Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria, and slew him, and reigned in his stead.
(15)  And the rest of the acts of Shallum, and his conspiracy which he made, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
(16)  Then Menahem smote Tiphsah, and all that were therein, and the coasts thereof from Tirzah: because they opened not to him, therefore he smote it; and all the women therein that were with child he ripped up.
(17)  In the nine and thirtieth year of Azariah king of Judah began Menahem the son of Gadi to reign over Israel, and reigned ten years in Samaria.
(18)  And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
(19)  And Pul the king of Assyria came against the land: and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.
(20)  And Menahem exacted the money of Israel, even of all the mighty men of wealth, of each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back, and stayed not there in the land.
(21)  And the rest of the acts of Menahem, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
(22)  And Menahem slept with his fathers; and Pekahiah his son reigned in his stead.
(23)  In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned two years.
(24)  And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
(25)  But Pekah the son of Remaliah, a captain of his, conspired against him, and smote him in Samaria, in the palace of the king's house, with Argob and Arieh, and with him fifty men of the Gileadites: and he killed him, and reigned in his room.
(26)  And the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
(27)  In the two and fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned twenty years.
(28)  And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
(29)  In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abelbethmaachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria.
(30)  And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah.
(31)  And the rest of the acts of Pekah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
(32)  In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel began Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign.
(33)  Five and twenty years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok.
(34)  And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD: he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done.
(35)  Howbeit the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burned incense still in the high places. He built the higher gate of the house of the LORD.
(36)  Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
(37)  In those days the LORD began to send against Judah Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah.
(38)  And Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.

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Ezekiel 11

WEEK  5                                           Ezekiel 11

SATURDAY  Reflections

As God prepares to leave the temple, the leaders of Jerusalem tell the people everything is okay. They tell them they are safe and they should go about their business. They say it is going to be secure for years. It isn't going to be. The leaders lied, or what is scarier is they may believe the lie themselves. What is coming on them is exactly what they fear. They don't see that their own actions have brought it upon them. 

 

The people back in Judah believe the people in exile have lost their rights to the lands which belonged to their families. God makes it clear that the ones who seem to have lost their family's heritage will get it back. The ones God is going to bless are the ones who seem to have lost everything. Once again, God is going to bless the ones who are downtrodden and outcast.

 

God is promising to bring a people back to Him whose hearts He has changed. 

Eze 11:1-25
(1)  Moreover the spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the east gate of the LORD'S house, which looketh eastward: and behold at the door of the gate five and twenty men; among whom I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.
(2)  Then said he unto me, Son of man, these are the men that devise mischief, and give wicked counsel in this city:
(3)  Which say, It is not near; let us build houses: this city is the caldron, and we be the flesh.
(4)  Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man.
(5)  And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the LORD; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.
(6)  Ye have multiplied your slain in this city, and ye have filled the streets thereof with the slain.
(7)  Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Your slain whom ye have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh, and this city is the caldron: but I will bring you forth out of the midst of it.
(8)  Ye have feared the sword; and I will bring a sword upon you, saith the Lord GOD.
(9)  And I will bring you out of the midst thereof, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments among you.
(10)  Ye shall fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
(11)  This city shall not be your caldron, neither shall ye be the flesh in the midst thereof; but I will judge you in the border of Israel:
(12)  And ye shall know that I am the LORD: for ye have not walked in my statutes, neither executed my judgments, but have done after the manners of the heathen that are round about you.
(13)  And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?
(14)  Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
(15)  Son of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel wholly, are they unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from the LORD: unto us is this land given in possession.
(16)  Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.
(17)  Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.
(18)  And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence.
(19)  And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:
(20)  That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.
(21)  But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord GOD.
(22)  Then did the cherubims lift up their wings, and the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.
(23)  And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city.
(24)  Afterwards the spirit took me up, and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me.
(25)  Then I spake unto them of the captivity all the things that the LORD had shewed me.

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Hosea 14

WEEK 5                                          Hosea 14

FRIDAY  Reflections

Now ends the book of Hosea, not with more judgment but with a cry to return to God. As the chapter ends, they and we are reminded that wise people understand the things Hosea has discussed, and wise people will serve God. The transgressor's only option is failure.

Let us be wise and choose God and His ways.

Hos 14:1-9
(1)  O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.
(2)  Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.
(3)  Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.
(4)  I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.
(5)  I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.
(6)  His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.
(7)  They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.
(8)  Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.
(9)  Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.

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