Daily Manna (Coffee with Jesus)

Do any of you reading this, remember the Family Bible displayed in the home of your grandparents or great grandparents?  If you do, like me, you discovered that there was a section in the middle of that huge, heavy Bible, between the Old Testament and New Testament, with pages specified for listing births, deaths, marriages, and even baptisms for each family member!  It is a fact that genealogical organizations look for and rely on these Bibles now to fill in the blanks in ancestry searches!  It was of huge importance to fill out those pages long ago! 

It was of huge importance on that day I found my name written there! Susan Lynn Kellerby, daughter of Vernon and Evelyn Kellerby, born August 7, 1951.  I was named and accounted for in Grandpa and Grandma Lacquement’s Holy Bible, the book they read and prayed over every night of their lives on earth.  Tears come, as I remember this moment and immediately thank God for the legacy of faith they gave to me.

God created humans.  “In the image of God,” He created Adam and Eve, His first humans. This male and female were given everything they needed, including a beautiful, loving intimate relationship with God, and told to populate the earth. The obeyed the “populate the earth” part; but not before, when tempted by evil, ruptured their intimate relationship with God by falling for the lies of the Deceiver, the Enemy of God. Kicked out of their perfect garden of Eden, God clothes them and sends them to work other places on earth filled with weeds and later with wars between the people who will populate the earth. Here is the record—named and accounted for from Adam to Abraham to David!

According to Bible scholars, First and Second Chronicles are among the last penned words of the Old Testament. The writer scoured the records of Israel’s past and composed an account of God’s plan from the beginning of the nation until their return from years of exile in the East. First Chronicles, particularly chapters 10–29, parallels the account given in 2 Samuel, that’s why some stories of God, displayed in the lives of His created will be familiar if you have stayed with us through our journey through the Bible, beginning with Genesis— “the beginning”!

The first nine chapters give us a review with a big picture view to see how God’s plan narrowed in scope until it focused on a people He had chosen with a royal dynasty that would represent God’s ultimate promises. God chose a man named David who demonstrated uncommon faithfulness to the first Israelite king, whose throne he would eventually occupy.

To keep us focused, thought it is a lot of names, we have listed the first half of those real people whose names are accounted for in 1 Chronicles 1-4. If you are an ancestry searcher, you will love this and see the connections. If you are not, bear with us as we see the names and recall how God guided each one for “such a time as this in their lives” that made a difference in the lives of others. We give God the glory as we find ourselves in the story of God!

1 Chronicles 1

Historical Records: From Adam to Abraham

To Noah’s Sons

1 Adam, Seth, Enosh, ² Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, ³ Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah.⁴ The sons of Noah: Shem, Ham and Japheth.

The Japhethites

⁵ The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshek and Tiras.

⁶ The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah.

⁷ The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittites and the Rodanites.

The Hamites

⁸ The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put and Canaan.

⁹ The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raamah and Sabteka.

The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan.

¹⁰ Cush was the father of Nimrod, who became a mighty warrior on earth.

¹¹ Egypt was the father of the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, ¹² Pathrusites, Kasluhites (from whom the Philistines came) and Caphtorites.

¹³ Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn, and of the Hittites, ¹⁴ Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, ¹⁵ Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, ¹⁶ Arvadites, Zemarites and Hamathites.

The Semites

¹⁷ The sons of Shem: Elam, Ashur, Arphaxad, Lud and Aram.

The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether and Meshek.

¹⁸ Arphaxad was the father of Shelah, and Shelah the father of Eber.

¹⁹ Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg, because in his time the earth was divided; his brother was named Joktan.

²⁰ Joktan was the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, ²¹ Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, ²² Obal, Abimael, Sheba, ²³ Ophir, Havilah and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan. ²⁴ Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah,

²⁵ Eber, Peleg, Reu,²⁶ Serug, Nahor, Terah ²⁷ and Abram (that is, Abraham).

The Family of Abraham

²⁸ The sons of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael.

Descendants of Hagar

²⁹ These were their descendants: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, ³⁰ Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, ³¹ Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah. These were the sons of Ishmael.

Descendants of Keturah

³² The sons born to Keturah, Abraham’s concubine: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah. The sons of Jokshan: Sheba and Dedan.

³³ The sons of Midian: Ephah, Epher, Hanok, Abida and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah.

Descendants of Sarah

³⁴ Abraham was the father of Isaac.

The sons of Isaac: Esau and Israel.

Esau’s Sons

³⁵ The sons of Esau: Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam and Korah.

³⁶ The sons of Eliphaz: Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam and Kenaz;

by Timna: Amalek.

³⁷ The sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah.

The People of Seir in Edom

³⁸ The sons of Seir: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer and Dishan.

³⁹ The sons of Lotan: Hori and Homam. Timna was Lotan’s sister.

⁴⁰ The sons of Shobal: Alvan,^[l] Manahath, Ebal, Shepho and Onam.

The sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah.

⁴¹ The son of Anah: Dishon.

The sons of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran and Keran.

⁴² The sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan and Akan.

The sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran.

The Rulers of Edom

⁴³ These were the kings who reigned in Edom before any Israelite king reigned:

Bela son of Beor, whose city was named Dinhabah.

⁴⁴ When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah succeeded him as king.

⁴⁵ When Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites succeeded him as king.

⁴⁶ When Husham died, Hadad son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the country of Moab, succeeded him as king. His city was named Avith.

⁴⁷ When Hadad died, Samlah from Masrekah succeeded him as king.

⁴⁸ When Samlah died, Shaul from Rehoboth on the river succeeded him as king.

⁴⁹ When Shaul died, Baal-Hanan son of Akbor succeeded him as king.

⁵⁰ When Baal-Hanan died, Hadad succeeded him as king. His city was named Pau, and his wife’s name was Mehetabel daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-Zahab. ⁵¹ Hadad also died.

The chiefs of Edom were: Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, ⁵² Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, ⁵³ Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, ⁵⁴ Magdiel and Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom.

1 Chronicles 2

Israel’s Sons (Became the Twelve Tribes of Israel/Jacob)

2 These were the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, ² Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

Judah

To Hezron’s Sons

³ The sons of Judah: Er, Onan and Shelah. These three were born to him by a Canaanite woman, the daughter of Shua. Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death. ⁴ Judah’s daughter-in-law Tamar bore Perez and Zerah to Judah. He had five sons in all.

⁵ The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul.

⁶ The sons of Zerah: Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Kalkol and Darda^]—five in all.

⁷ The son of Karmi: Achar, who brought trouble on Israel by violating the ban on taking devoted things.

⁸ The son of Ethan: Azariah.

⁹ The sons born to Hezron were: Jerahmeel, Ram and Caleb.

From Ram Son of Hezron

¹⁰ Ram was the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, the leader of the people of Judah. ¹¹ Nahshon was the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, ¹² Boaz the father of Obed and Obed the father of Jesse.

¹³ Jesse was the father of Eliab his firstborn; the second son was Abinadab, the third Shimea, ¹⁴ the fourth Nethanel, the fifth Raddai, ¹⁵ the sixth Ozem and the seventh David. ¹⁶ Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. Zeruiah’s three sons were Abishai, Joab and Asahel. ¹⁷ Abigail was the mother of Amasa, whose father was Jether the Ishmaelite.

Caleb Son of Hezron

¹⁸ Caleb son of Hezron had children by his wife Azubah (and by Jerioth). These were her sons: Jesher, Shobab and Ardon. ¹⁹ When Azubah died, Caleb married Ephrath, who bore him Hur. ²⁰ Hur was the father of Uri, and Uri the father of Bezalel.

²¹ Later, Hezron, when he was sixty years old, married the daughter of Makir the father of Gilead. He made love to her, and she bore him Segub. ²² Segub was the father of Jair, who controlled twenty-three towns in Gilead. ²³ (But Geshur and Aram captured Havvoth Jair, as well as Kenath with its surrounding settlements—sixty towns.) All these were descendants of Makir the father of Gilead.

²⁴ After Hezron died in Caleb Ephrathah, Abijah the wife of Hezron bore him Ashhur the father of Tekoa.

Jerahmeel Son of Hezron

²⁵ The sons of Jerahmeel the firstborn of Hezron: Ram his firstborn, Bunah, Oren, Ozem and Ahijah. ²⁶ Jerahmeel had another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam.

²⁷ The sons of Ram the firstborn of Jerahmeel: Maaz, Jamin and Eker.

²⁸ The sons of Onam: Shammai and Jada.

The sons of Shammai: Nadab and Abishur.

²⁹ Abishur’s wife was named Abihail, who bore him Ahban and Molid.

³⁰ The sons of Nadab: Seled and Appaim. Seled died without children.

³¹ The son of Appaim: Ishi, who was the father of Sheshan. Sheshan was the father of Ahlai.

³² The sons of Jada, Shammai’s brother: Jether and Jonathan. Jether died without children. ³³ The sons of Jonathan: Peleth and Zaza. These were the descendants of Jerahmeel.

³⁴ Sheshan had no sons—only daughters. He had an Egyptian servant named Jarha. ³⁵ Sheshan gave his daughter in marriage to his servant Jarha, and she bore him Attai. ³⁶ Attai was the father of Nathan, Nathan the father of Zabad, ³⁷ Zabad the father of Ephlal, Ephlal the father of Obed, ³⁸ Obed the father of Jehu, Jehu the father of Azariah, ³⁹ Azariah the father of Helez, Helez the father of Eleasah,⁴⁰ Eleasah the father of Sismai, Sismai the father of Shallum, ⁴¹ Shallum the father of Jekamiah, and Jekamiah the father of Elishama.

The Clans of Caleb

⁴² The sons of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel: Mesha his firstborn, who was the father of Ziph, and his son Mareshah, who was the father of Hebron.

⁴³ The sons of Hebron: Korah, Tappuah, Rekem and Shema. ⁴⁴ Shema was the father of Raham, and Raham the father of Jorkeam. Rekem was the father of Shammai. ⁴⁵ The son of Shammai was Maon, and Maon was the father of Beth Zur.

⁴⁶ Caleb’s concubine Ephah was the mother of Haran, Moza and Gazez. Haran was the father of Gazez.

⁴⁷ The sons of Jahdai: Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah and Shaaph.

⁴⁸ Caleb’s concubine Maakah was the mother of Sheber and Tirhanah. ⁴⁹ She also gave birth to Shaaph the father of Madmannah and to Sheva the father of Makbenah and Gibea. Caleb’s daughter was Aksah. ⁵⁰ These were the descendants of Caleb.

The sons of Hur the firstborn of Ephrathah: Shobal the father of Kiriath Jearim, ⁵¹ Salma the father of Bethlehem, and Hareph the father of Beth Gader.

⁵² The descendants of Shobal the father of Kiriath Jearim were: Haroeh, half the Manahathites, ⁵³ and the clans of Kiriath Jearim: the Ithrites, Puthites, Shumathites and Mishraites. From these descended the Zorathites and Eshtaolites.

⁵⁴ The descendants of Salma: Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Atroth Beth Joab, half the Manahathites, the Zorites, ⁵⁵ and the clans of scribes who lived at Jabez: the Tirathites, Shimeathites and Sucathites. These are the Kenites who came from Hammath, the father of the Rekabites.

1 Chronicles 3

These were the sons of David born to him in Hebron: The firstborn was Amnon the son of Ahinoam of Jezreel; the second, Daniel the son of Abigail of Carmel; ² the third, Absalom the son of Maakah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; ³ the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; and the sixth, Ithream, by his wife Eglah. ⁴ These six were born to David in Hebron, where he reigned seven years and six months.

David reigned in Jerusalem thirty-three years, ⁵ and these were the children born to him there: Shammua,Shobab, Nathan and Solomon. These four were by Bathsheba daughter of Ammiel. ⁶ There were also Ibhar, Elishua, Eliphelet, ⁷ Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, ⁸ Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet—nine in all. ⁹ All these were the sons of David, besides his sons by his concubines. And Tamar was their sister.

The Kings of Judah

¹⁰ Solomon’s son was Rehoboam, Abijah his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son, ¹¹ Jehoram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son, ¹² Amaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son, ¹³ Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son, ¹⁴ Amon his son, Josiah his son.

¹⁵ The sons of Josiah: Johanan the firstborn, Jehoiakim the second son, Zedekiah the third, Shallum the fourth. ¹⁶ The successors of Jehoiakim: Jehoiachin his son, and Zedekiah.

The Royal Line After the Exile

¹⁷ The descendants of Jehoiachin the captive: Shealtiel his son, ¹⁸ Malkiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama and Nedabiah.

¹⁹ The sons of Pedaiah: Zerubbabel and Shimei.

The sons of Zerubbabel: Meshullam and Hananiah. Shelomith was their sister.

²⁰ There were also five others: Hashubah, Ohel, Berekiah, Hasadiah and Jushab-Hesed.

²¹ The descendants of Hananiah: Pelatiah and Jeshaiah, and the sons of Rephaiah, of Arnan, of Obadiah and of Shekaniah.

²² The descendants of Shekaniah: Shemaiah and his sons: Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah and Shaphat—six in all.

²³ The sons of Neariah: Elioenai, Hizkiah and Azrikam—three in all.

²⁴ The sons of Elioenai: Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah and Anani—seven in all.

1 Chronicles 4

Other Clans of Judah

The descendants of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Karmi, Hur and Shobal.

² Reaiah son of Shobal was the father of Jahath, and Jahath the father of Ahumai and Lahad. These were the clans of the Zorathites.

³ These were the sons of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma and Idbash. Their sister was named Hazzelelponi. ⁴ Penuel was the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah.

These were the descendants of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah and father of Bethlehem.

⁵ Ashhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah. ⁶ Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni and Haahashtari. These were the descendants of Naarah. ⁷ The sons of Helah: Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan, ⁸ and Koz, who was the father of Anub and Hazzobebah and of the clans of Aharhel son of Harum.

⁹ Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” ¹⁰ Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.

¹¹ Kelub, Shuhah’s brother, was the father of Mehir, who was the father of Eshton. ¹² Eshton was the father of Beth Rapha, Paseah and Tehinnah the father of Ir Nahash. These were the men of Rekah.

¹³ The sons of Kenaz: Othniel and Seraiah.

The sons of Othniel: Hathath and Meonothai. ¹⁴ Meonothai was the father of Ophrah.

Seraiah was the father of Joab, the father of Ge Harashim. It was called this because its people were skilled workers.

¹⁵ The sons of Caleb son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah and Naam. The son of Elah: Kenaz.

¹⁶ The sons of Jehallelel: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria and Asarel.

¹⁷ The sons of Ezrah: Jether, Mered, Epher and Jalon. One of Mered’s wives gave birth to Miriam, Shammai and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa. ¹⁸ (His wife from the tribe of Judah gave birth to Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soko, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah.) These were the children of Pharaoh’s daughter Bithiah, whom Mered had married.

¹⁹ The sons of Hodiah’s wife, the sister of Naham: the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maakathite. ²⁰ The sons of Shimon: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-Hanan and Tilon.

The descendants of Ishi: Zoheth and Ben-Zoheth.

²¹ The sons of Shelah son of Judah: Er the father of Lekah, Laadah the father of Mareshah and the clans of the linen workers at Beth Ashbea, ²² Jokim, the men of Kozeba, and Joash and Saraph, who ruled in Moab and Jashubi Lehem. (These records are from ancient times.) ²³ They were the potters who lived at Netaim and Gederah; they stayed there and worked for the king.

Simeon

²⁴ The descendants of Simeon: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah and Shaul; ²⁵ Shallum was Shaul’s son, Mibsam his son and Mishma his son. ²⁶ The descendants of Mishma: Hammuel his son, Zakkur his son and Shimei his son.

²⁷ Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his brothers did not have many children; so their entire clan did not become as numerous as the people of Judah. ²⁸ They lived in Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar Shual, ²⁹ Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, ³⁰ Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, ³¹ Beth Markaboth, Hazar Susim, Beth Biri and Shaaraim. These were their towns until the reign of David. ³² Their surrounding villages were Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Token and Ashan—five towns— ³³ and all the villages around these towns as far as Baalath. These were their settlements. And they kept a genealogical record.

³⁴ Meshobab, Jamlech, Joshah son of Amaziah, ³⁵ Joel, Jehu son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel, ³⁶ also Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, Benaiah, ³⁷ and Ziza son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah.

³⁸ The men listed above by name were leaders of their clans. Their families increased greatly, ³⁹ and they went to the outskirts of Gedor to the east of the valley in search of pasture for their flocks. ⁴⁰ They found rich, good pasture, and the land was spacious, peaceful and quiet. Some Hamites had lived there formerly.

⁴¹ The men whose names were listed came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. They attacked the Hamites in their dwellings and also the Meunites who were there and completely destroyed them, as is evident to this day. Then they settled in their place, because there was pasture for their flocks. ⁴² And five hundred of these Simeonites, led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi, invaded the hill country of Seir. ⁴³ They killed the remaining Amalekites who had escaped, and they have lived there to this day.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

God created us. God knew us before we were born. God knows our name and hears us when we call out to Him. God loves everything about us for He created us. God loves all His created and longs to have an intimate, loving, beneficial relationship with us.  God sings over us as we sleep.  He delights in all the details of our lives.  Invite Him in and tell Him all your deepest concerns and wonderings; He will draw nearer still to listen to you. Who does THAT these days?  Practically no one—unless you pay professional listeners to hear you! There is no one like our God!  Our response to our God is to worship Him by listening to Him, loving Him back, with hearts of trust and obedience. 

There is another book in which our names are written if we believe in Jesus!  In the book of Revelation, chapter 20 to exact, there is the Book of Life, a divine record of all the names of individuals who will be saved and enter heaven. This Book is also called the “Lamb’s Book of Life,” indicating salvation is only through Jesus Christ, Son of God.  From Chronicles to Matthew, who will list the ancestry from David to Jesus, we learn that these names and people are real; the stories written so that God’s glory will be seen in our own lives more readily. We must also bear in mind as we read the Story of God, that from the beginning; Jesus was there. Jesus is part of God, the Father. Upon Jesus resurrection; He was appointed by God to be King of kings and Lord of lords because Jesus was the fulfillment of God’s Plan to save us once and for all. Wow, just wow.

Lord,

Help us to lean into the stories of truth to see you more clearly who is Truth.

In Jesus Name, Amen

“I am your God and you shall be my people.” –God

The phrase, “I am your God and you shall be my people,” appears in various forms throughout the Bible, most notably in Leviticus 26:12, Jeremiah 30:22, and Ezekiel 37:27. These words command attention and reverence for the words are God’s covenant promise from Him to His chosen people, symbolizing a relationship of protection, guidance, and belonging.

However, down through the ages, the people wanted more than God. God’s people were distracted by the power, riches, and influence that the kings of other nations around them seem to have and hold.  They cried out to God for a king like that to rule over them!  How this must have grieved the heart of God. Who is like the Lord God?  He supplied all they needed and knew them from the inside out! God protected them with The Law given to Moses for the purpose to govern each other with included His character of love, mercy, justice, grace, peace, and joy! But they thought they knew better than God! 

“We want a king!” they kept demanding. So God, through his prophets, gave them exactly what they wanted—a human to rule over them.  Those chose a human to follow over the God of all, who knows all, and is in all because He created all.  There is no one like our God.  God/Jesus/Holy Spirit is King of kings and Lord of lords but they wanted someone they could see even if it meant this person made life miserable for them—and most times that is exactly what happened. 

Thinking with kings they would be self-sufficient, life took a turn for the worse.  The Kingdom of Israel was split in two.  Other kings who had once impressed them warred against them.  Kings were at war with each other as part of their “job description.” God stood by, helping when they asked, as He waited for them to return to Him. God allowed His people to live with the consequence of their decision of having a king rule over them instead of God, Himself.

After the house of Israel in Samaria fell to the enemy; God’s people in Judah carried on with life. (God protected this lineage of Judah. From the line of Judah, Jesus, promised Messiah, would be born!)  But most of Judah’s kings were evil. Some, like Josiah were as dedicated to God as David was but most were not. Soon selfishness and pride took over their hearts. The sins of their fathers were passed down so evil gave birth to the sin of forgetting God completely. “Doing what was evil in the eyes of the Lord” was their way of life. The relationship God sought from the beginning to be their God and for them to be His people was broken.

Turning to evil was the rejection of God and became their way of life. This independent-of-God lifestyle rejected God and His Law. They worshiped everything but God. They worshiped their evil kings.  They worshiped the stuff of life that turned them away from their God who provided the stuff for them!  Some combined idol worship with thoughts of God but adding their idols to the pure worship of God alone was unholy and detestable to God.  God’s Law that told them how to live in peace with each other was not only set aside, it was hidden and never spoken of until a young king’s workers found it in the rubble of the Temple in need of repair. Finding it caused a revival but soon the fire was extinguished with the kings that followed.

The people and their leaders became so hard hearted against God, they stop listening to God. God was so far out of mind they could no long hear His voice. It is time to end the foolishness of their own desires. Kings who had impressed God’s people now enslaved them.  God’s chosen were now exiled to Babylonia—a kingdom of evil governed by an evil king, Nebuchadnezzar.  This chapter and verse will end our study of the kings of God’s people. What will happen next? Stay turned—God is not finished yet!

2 Kings 25

So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. He encamped outside the city and built siege works all around it. ² The city was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

³ By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine in the city had become so severe that there was no food for the people to eat. ⁴ Then the city wall was broken through, and the whole army fled at night through the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden, though the Babylonians were surrounding the city. They fled toward the Arabah, ⁵ but the Babylonian army pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him and scattered, ⁶ and he was captured.

He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where sentence was pronounced on him. ⁷ They killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. Then they put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon.

⁸ On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard, an official of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. ⁹ He set fire to the temple of the Lord, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down. ¹⁰ The whole Babylonian army under the commander of the imperial guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem. ¹¹ Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile the people who remained in the city, along with the rest of the populace and those who had deserted to the king of Babylon. ¹² But the commander left behind some of the poorest people of the land to work the vineyards and fields.

¹³ The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars, the movable stands and the bronze Sea that were at the temple of the Lord and they carried the bronze to Babylon. ¹⁴ They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, dishes and all the bronze articles used in the temple service. ¹⁵ The commander of the imperial guard took away the censers and sprinkling bowls—all that were made of pure gold or silver.

¹⁶ The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the movable stands, which Solomon had made for the temple of the Lord, was more than could be weighed. ¹⁷ Each pillar was eighteen cubits high. The bronze capital on top of one pillar was three cubits high and was decorated with a network and pomegranates of bronze all around. The other pillar, with its network, was similar.

¹⁸ The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers. ¹⁹ Of those still in the city, he took the officer in charge of the fighting men, and five royal advisers. He also took the secretary who was chief officer in charge of conscripting the people of the land and sixty of the conscripts who were found in the city. ²⁰ Nebuzaradan the commander took them all and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. ²¹ There at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed.

So Judah went into captivity, away from her land.

²² Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to be over the people he had left behind in Judah. ²³ When all the army officers and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, Jaazaniah the son of the Maakathite, and their men. ²⁴ Gedaliah took an oath to reassure them and their men. “Do not be afraid of the Babylonian officials,” he said. “Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.”

²⁵ In the seventh month, however, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood, came with ten men and assassinated Gedaliah and also the men of Judah and the Babylonians who were with him at Mizpah. ²⁶ At this, all the people from the least to the greatest, together with the army officers, fled to Egypt for fear of the Babylonians.

Jehoiachin Released

²⁷ In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the year Awel-Marduk became king of Babylon, he released Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. He did this on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month. ²⁸ He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honor higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. ²⁹ So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king’s table. ³⁰ Day by day the king gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance as long as he lived.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

God warned the people for over one hundred years that continued disobedience would lead to disaster. We get into trouble when we forget what God has done for us along with who He is!  Namely, the One in control and is sovereign over all He has created!

Moses wrote a song about God; “Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11) These words of questioning are rhetorical, used to declare God’s unique greatness. David wrote many songs of the greatness of God, too.  Psalm 113:5 also uses a similar phrase to express God’s exalted position; 

The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens!
Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down on the heavens and the earth? Psalm 113:4-6

There is no one like our God!  If you know, you know!  Many others whose hearts are fully committed to the heart of God in relationship with Him know!

Those who listened to God’s prophets, certainly knew the promise the Lord had given through Jeremiah that the captivity would last seventy years and then the exiles would be allowed to return to Judah. God’s purpose was to give them “a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11), but they must accept that promise by faith and live to please Him.

Our response has only two choices:

1. God, who sent His Son, Jesus who is now King of kings and Lord of lords who provides salvation and freedom with life eternal. God is all knowing and loves beyond our wildest dreams.
2. Or door number two, evil who distracts, deceives, with the sole purpose to destroy our faith in God who leads us to the captivity of darkness to be exiled to eternal death.

Who is King of your life?  Choose wisely—it truly is a matter of life or death!

After all the kings and kingdoms, God sent Jesus to reconnect us to a relationship with Him.  Here’s how:

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” Romans 5:6-11

Justified, saved, redeemed, reconciled to have a forever beautiful relationship with God!

There is NO ONE like our God!  God or a human king?  I choose God.

Lord,

You loved each one of us, who live all over your created world, enough to die for us!  Yes, there is no one like you!  Why trust anyone but you?  I cannot. I love you because you first loved me.  I trust you above anyone else.  I worship you alone for you are the One and Only worthy to be praised.  Lead me, Lord.

In Jesus Name, Amen          

When a Godly leader knows of God but then reconnects with God, they hear God more instinctively.  Godly leaders listen, trust, and obey God with their whole heart, mind, and soul. When this happens; God accomplishes great things through them.  Eventually, this leader will someday step down. What legacy will they leave? In ancient times, the obvious next choice is their son. Will the son carry on the work of the father?

A king like Josiah would be a “hard act to follow” as he did more to bring the people back to God than anyone else. This passage is proof!  Josiah reunited the people of Judah and Jerusalem as one nation of Isreal!  He got rid of all the idols in the Temple as well as destroying all the high places where they were worshiped outside the Temple in every town!  All this was accomplished as God worked through His servant king, Josiah, to bring His people back to Him. 

God’s Law, hidden, forgotten, and once lost was now found! Like finding treasure, God’s Law was read immediately by King Josiah. It broke his heart as he realized that their current lifestyle worship of many gods as an acceptable part of their culture was detestable and unholy to God. Their sins that broke the heart of God now broke the heart of King Josiah. Changes must be made immediately!

Josiah’s renewed heart now aligned with the heart of God. He worked diligently to rid the land of all that was not God.  ALL God’s people then stood with their king and pledged themselves to God’s Covenant as their king stood in the presence of the Lord, vowing to follow all the Lord’s Law “with all his heart, and all his soul.”  What a beautiful moment in the story of God, (HIStory), that must have been!  The nation of Israel as one said yes to God with agreeable hearts and souls in Covenant with Him.

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”  2 Chronicles 7:14

Imagine the leader of our nation, or any other nation, humbling themselves before God with no agenda but God’s Will be done. Imagine the leader calling on all people to renew their promise to God to trust, obey, and follow Him with all their hearts, minds, and souls.  Imagine a nation of people turning away from all deeds of evil for their own self-gratification and turning to God. Imagine what it would be like if the greatest commands of God, Love God. Love Each Other, taught by our perfect example Jesus, our Savior and our Lord, truly became a way of life!

Wow! What an incredibly different world that would be!  It could happen!

2 Kings 23

Josiah Renews the Covenant

Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. ² He went up to the temple of the Lord with the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the prophets—all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the Lord. ³ The king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord—to follow the Lord and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant.

⁴ The king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the priests next in rank and the doorkeepers to remove from the temple of the Lord all the articles made for Baal and Asherah and all the starry hosts. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron Valley and took the ashes to Bethel. ⁵ He did away with the idolatrous priests appointed by the kings of Judah to burn incense on the high places of the towns of Judah and on those around Jerusalem—those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations and to all the starry hosts. ⁶ He took the Asherah pole from the temple of the Lord to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem and burned it there. He ground it to powder and scattered the dust over the graves of the common people. ⁷ He also tore down the quarters of the male shrine prostitutes that were in the temple of the Lord, the quarters where women did weaving for Asherah.

⁸ Josiah brought all the priests from the towns of Judah and desecrated the high places, from Geba to Beersheba, where the priests had burned incense. He broke down the gateway at the entrance of the Gate of Joshua, the city governor, which was on the left of the city gate. ⁹ Although the priests of the high places did not serve at the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem, they ate unleavened bread with their fellow priests.

¹⁰ He desecrated Topheth, which was in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, so no one could use it to sacrifice their son or daughter in the fire to Molek. ¹¹ He removed from the entrance to the temple of the Lord the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun. They were in the court near the room of an official named Nathan-Melek. Josiah then burned the chariots dedicated to the sun.

¹² He pulled down the altars the kings of Judah had erected on the roof near the upper room of Ahaz, and the altars Manasseh had built in the two courts of the temple of the Lord. He removed them from there, smashed them to pieces and threw the rubble into the Kidron Valley. ¹³ The king also desecrated the high places that were east of Jerusalem on the south of the Hill of Corruption—the ones Solomon king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the vile goddess of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the vile god of Moab, and for Molek the detestable god of the people of Ammon. ¹⁴ Josiah smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles and covered the sites with human bones.

¹⁵ Even the altar at Bethel, the high place made by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin—even that altar and high place he demolished. He burned the high place and ground it to powder, and burned the Asherah pole also. ¹⁶ Then Josiah looked around, and when he saw the tombs that were there on the hillside, he had the bones removed from them and burned on the altar to defile it, in accordance with the word of the Lord proclaimed by the man of God who foretold these things.

¹⁷ The king asked, “What is that tombstone I see?”

The people of the city said, “It marks the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and pronounced against the altar of Bethel the very things you have done to it.”

¹⁸ “Leave it alone,” he said. “Don’t let anyone disturb his bones.” So they spared his bones and those of the prophet who had come from Samaria.

¹⁹ Just as he had done at Bethel, Josiah removed all the shrines at the high places that the kings of Israel had built in the towns of Samaria and that had aroused the Lord’s anger. ²⁰ Josiah slaughtered all the priests of those high places on the altars and burned human bones on them. Then he went back to Jerusalem.

²¹ The king gave this order to all the people: “Celebrate the Passover to the Lord your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.” ²² Neither in the days of the judges who led Israel nor in the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah had any such Passover been observed. ²³ But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was celebrated to the Lord in Jerusalem.

²⁴ Furthermore, Josiah got rid of the mediums and spiritists, the household gods, the idols and all the other detestable things seen in Judah and Jerusalem. This he did to fulfill the requirements of the law written in the book that Hilkiah the priest had discovered in the temple of the Lord. ²⁵ Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did—with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.

²⁶ Nevertheless, the Lord did not turn away from the heat of his fierce anger, which burned against Judah because of all that Manasseh had done to arouse his anger. ²⁷ So the Lord said, “I will remove Judah also from my presence as I removed Israel, and I will reject Jerusalem, the city I chose, and this temple, about which I said, ‘My Name shall be there.’^[b]”

²⁸ As for the other events of Josiah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?

²⁹ While Josiah was king, Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt went up to the Euphrates River to help the king of Assyria. King Josiah marched out to meet him in battle, but Necho faced him and killed him at Megiddo. ³⁰ Josiah’s servants brought his body in a chariot from Megiddo to Jerusalem and buried him in his own tomb. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and anointed him and made him king in place of his father.

Jehoahaz King of Judah

³¹ Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. ³² He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, just as his predecessors had done. ³³ Pharaoh Necho put him in chains at Riblah in the land of Hamath so that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and he imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. ³⁴ Pharaoh Necho made Eliakim son of Josiah king in place of his father Josiah and changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt, and there he died. ³⁵ Jehoiakim paid Pharaoh Necho the silver and gold he demanded. In order to do so, he taxed the land and exacted the silver and gold from the people of the land according to their assessments.

Jehoiakim King of Judah

³⁶ Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah; she was from Rumah. ³⁷ And he did evil in the eyes of the Lord, just as his predecessors had done.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

God is sovereign (supreme authority over all), omnipotent(all powerful) and omnipresent (everywhere present always).  So why do we try to hide our sins from the God who knows all?  We a foolish lot at times, right?  We think we know it all and can take care of ourselves even though God created us “in His own image” to commune with Him in a lovingly intimate relationship that grows and expands daily!  Sin separates us from this beautiful relationship with our Creator who loved us so much He gave us His Son to save us. God is magnificent and glorious in every way!  Our response is to trust and obey Him in all circumstances for our good as this gives Him glory!  God wants His best for us.

It is our sins that separate us from God, blocking the blessings God wants to pour out over us.  But all is not lost—Jesus came to seek and to save the lost without God and bring them back to Him. Jesus took our sins on his shoulders and willingly sacrificed His sinless life to pay the penalty of punishment for our sins.  Jesus did want we could not do for ourselves—remove all our sin and the shame that hovered over us like a dark cloud of despair.  Jesus set us free! 

Josiah obeyed God with undivided devotion and initiated great reforms. While repairing the formerly neglected temple, God’s Word was found. Josiah used God’s Word to bring drastic changes to the nation’s lifestyle.  One man’s heart fully committed to God made a powerful difference because of God in him.  “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9

We can be different than we were before knowing what Jesus did for us.  But a choice has to be made. Do we rise above the past, look to Jesus, repent in His Name with a humbled heart and renewed mind with a desire to be and make a difference in our lives? Or do we remain controlled by the past, clutching to our sins while gripping the shame of it all while making excuses?  Many choose to stay right where they are, stuck in the muddy past, wallowing in pity, with no place to go but down. 

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31

Josiah was a “runner”, energetic to go with God!  Josiah made a difference because he chose to be different in his relationship with God who cleansed his heart, renewed his mind, refreshed his soul, and restore the joy of God in him and him in God.  Hearts aligned in harmony—ah what a difference God makes in our lives!

Lord,

Align our hearts to Your heart. Teach us your will.  Help us to commune and walk with you daily as we surrender all of who we are to Jesus.  May your glory be seen in us.  You are the difference made in us!

In Jesus Name, Amen

It takes a while for me to get in the mood to clean out closets or reorganize what has been thrown into the attic or garage; but when I get in the “get it done” frame of mind it is always illuminating and gives me peace when all is neatly organized and a new space is created by throwing out what is no longer needed or does not belong in our lives any longer. 

But what also happens when remodeling or reorganizing is finding items you had long forgotten.  The last time we remodeled I found items I formerly cherished and displayed because they were given to me by those who loved me well. Those items were dusted and cleaned and brought out once more to be seen in the light of day!  Rediscovering precious gifts are like finding new treasures!  How many times have we said, “I didn’t know I still had that!” 

The rule of thumb for most of today’s reorganizers is: “If it gives you joy, make a place for it. If it no longer gives you joy and you cannot reason why you have it; throw it out!

What if what you find when remodeling is so great a treasure that it is used to cause a great revival of an entire nation?  Wait, what?! 

Josiah, who became king at the tender age of eight, loved and obeyed God with undivided devotion. In the eighteenth year of his reign, this young adult decided to remodel the much need in repair Temple. While repairing the formerly neglected temple, God’s Word was found. What a treasure!  The Word of God had hidden in the rubble and neglected for many decades of decadent kings who “did evil in the eyes of the Lord. 

Josiah was different.  He not only “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord;” Josiah followed completely the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.

For a man like Josiah to discover God’s Word that was formerly hidden was the same as unearthing a long lost, priceless treasure!  He cherished this treasure found and used God’s Word to bring drastic changes to the nation’s lifestyle. God used one man to bring a revival to an entire nation!

2 Kings 22

The Book of the Law Found

Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. His mother’s name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath. ² He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed completely the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.

³ In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent the secretary, Shaphan son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to the temple of the Lord. He said: ⁴ “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest and have him get ready the money that has been brought into the temple of the Lord, which the doorkeepers have collected from the people. ⁵ Have them entrust it to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple. And have these men pay the workers who repair the temple of the Lord— ⁶ the carpenters, the builders and the masons. Also have them purchase timber and dressed stone to repair the temple. ⁷ But they need not account for the money entrusted to them, because they are honest in their dealings.”

⁸ Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord.” He gave it to Shaphan, who read it. ⁹ Then Shaphan the secretary went to the king and reported to him: “Your officials have paid out the money that was in the temple of the Lord and have entrusted it to the workers and supervisors at the temple.” ¹⁰ Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.

¹¹ When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes. ¹² He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Akbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant: ¹³“Go and inquire of the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord’s anger that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.”

¹⁴ Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Akbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to speak to the prophet Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the New Quarter.

¹⁵ She said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me, ¹⁶ ‘This is what the Lord says: I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people, according to everything written in the book the king of Judah has read. ¹⁷ Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and aroused my anger by all the idols their hands have made, my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.’ ¹⁸ Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: ¹⁹ Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people—that they would become a curse and be laid waste—and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I also have heard you, declares the Lord. ²⁰ Therefore I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.’”

So they took her answer back to the king.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

God alone is to be worshiped.  God’s Word is to be heard, read, studied, and written on our hearts permanently.  God’s Law and the Fulfillment of His Law is His Story of Redemption, fulfilled by Jesus, His Son. God’s Word, in a sense, is the biography of Jesus!  God/Jesus/Holy Spirit—Three-In-One loves us and wants God’s best for us.

God is the One and Only who can save us from our sins. God had a plan from the beginning to remove mankind’s sins that block our view of God and our relationship with God.  God’s Word is given to us to tell us who He is, who Jesus is, what He has done to save us, and teaches us all that He requires of His created to live an abundant life with Him. 

We need God. We need to know God.  We need to learn how He works so we discover and imitate His character and habits; so that we may become more like Him.  But we cannot do this without His help. God delivers us from evil daily when we ask; because He gave us what we need most—Jesus who died to remove our sins.

It is God who provides His loving forgiveness and follows up by cleansing our hearts, renewing our minds, remodeling our lifestyles, with reshaping and remolding our souls to be holy before Him. All this happens through the gift of God’s Holy Spirit who comes to live in us to consistently restore His eternal joy with His peace as His work is accomplished in us!  

We are different, like Josiah, because we love God back, receive his gifts as treasures found, and follow His ways.  We desire to be holy and do what is right in the eyes of our Lord!  We can only do this because of Jesus who redeemed us from our sins!

Just like Josiah, we cannot control the way our forefathers responded to God. But we can control the way we respond to God. We have a say in our lives as God gave humans the gift of free will to choose. We have a choice.  We can choose to walk humbly with God and all that is good and gives life eternal or we can choose evil that leads to death. Choose well and someday—generations from now—your grandchildren and great-grandchildren will thank God for the seeds you sowed.

What is the treasure that we seek?

(The quick answer is reflected in our bank accounts and lifestyles.)

Pause now, reflect on the treasures we work hard to acquire. Talk with God, read His Word, then listen. There will always be some remodeling projects in our future! God longs to walk and talk with us. God delights in all the details of all the lives of the world He chose to die for and forgive because He loves us greatly and faithfully.  His love never changes, quits, or gives up. 

God/Jesus/Holy Spirit is the treasure that we seek! 

God’s Word unearths the Truth we long for in our lives!

Oh Lord,

You are my strength when I am weak, You are the treasure that I seek
You are my all in all
I’m seeking You like a precious jewel, Lord, to give up I’d be a fool
You are my all in all

Jesus, Lamb of God, Holy is Your name
Jesus, Lamb of God, Holy is Your name

Taking my cross my sin my shame, Raising again I praise Your name
You are my all in all

When I fall down, you pick me up, When I run dry You fill my cup
You are my all in all…  (You are My All in All, written by Denise Jernigan)

Thank you, thank you, thank you…forever!

In Jesus Name, Amen 

How far will people go to do evil in the eyes of the Lord?  It seems lately that mankind is testing those limits in even greater measures than our ancestors did. Yes, I know our grandparents said the same, but now that I am a grandparent I get what they were saying.  But sin by any measure is still sin.  It seems that some generations have choose to no longer hide or deny, but to justify sin as right and good! 

The view of many in our world think that “everything’s going to be okay and should not be judged as evil but as mere expressions of following our hearts.” World leaders tell us that “the means justifies the end” so just trust them.  We watch as some local leaders have dissolved once healthy city budgets in projects to please rich influencers who they hope will support their own political careers to greater heights and notoriety.  

Some of God’s churches have accepted the lies of worldview thinking while setting aside the commands of God.  Just last night at a family gathering, Randy and I shared a story from our childhood with our kids and grandkids of a preacher in our generation who would not drink cola from a can so others would not think he was drinking a beer!  My Grandma Lacquement, who I loved dearly and respected greatly for her faith, would not allow a newspaper or magazine (hard copy media before tech media, for those who are way younger reading this) to be placed on top of the family Bible on her side table!  She worshiped God and revered His Word.  She didn’t reprimand anyone; she would just quietly remove anything on top of God’s Word that landed there as a habit. We got the message as her grandkids!  The worship of God, with a humbled response of love and service to God, was real and evident in those who raised me to love God above all. I look back and cherish those who loved me and nurtured my faith in God. 

Therefore, our children were raised knowing that we love and serve God. Our grandchildren got the message, too.  But in the world in which they conduct their lives is extremely different than ours in what is acceptable and what is not.  Decisions made are vital and sometimes a matter of life or death.  It seems more is acceptable, even by laws made, even though not always beneficial for us. Paul wrote about this over a meat issue! (Read the whole chapter.)

“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.”–Paul, teaching the Corinthian church who included old worldly customs into their new belief of Jesus.  1 Corinthians 10:23-24

These words were part of a lesson over eating meats sacrificed with how that looks to those who do not.  Paul explains further; it’s more about but our intimate relationship with God and our reverence for Him. Paul sums up his lesson with;

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks, or the church of God— even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.” 1 Corinthians 10:31-33 

Hard decisions, no matter what generations we come from, must be made daily declaring who we follow. God helps those who believe, trust in Jesus, and rely on God’s gifts of His power, wisdom, and His ever present strength by His Holy Spirit living in us. A rule of thumb for me is when in doubt, don’t.  First consult with God and wait until you hear from God’s Holy Spirit who guides us to all that Truth with the right steps to take in the right Spirit. Peace comes when the right decision is made with His Holy Sprit’s guidance.  When I “follow my heart” (which is deceitful says Jesus); chaos occurs.  I would rather follow the heart of God in all things.

It makes us wonder then if Barna’s predictions with proof through his church surveys is right— “The church has become more affected by society then affecting society with God’s message of Truth.” George Barna, a prophet for our times, based on real surveys of the American church, also said, “There is no difference in the behaviors of those who say they believe in God that those who say they do not.”  (The State of the Church, George Barna)  I highly recommend reading this for all church leaders!

A look back—

That godly King Hezekiah should have such a wicked son is another one of those puzzles in biblical history. Manasseh lived a most ungodly life and yet had the longest reign of any king in Jewish history. It was as though the Lord took His hand off the nation and allowed all the filth to pour out of people’s hearts. 

Could this be happening in our generation?  The Lord God is allowing evil to do all that evil does in order to expose the Enemy for who he really is as the Deceiver of all when Jesus comes back? 

My question for us today is—why wait?  Follow Jesus now! He is everything we need!

2 Kings 21

Manasseh King of Judah

Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother’s name was Hephzibah. ² He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. ³ He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal and made an Asherah pole, as Ahab king of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them. ⁴ He built altars in the temple of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem I will put my Name.” ⁵ In the two courts of the temple of the Lord, he built altars to all the starry hosts. ⁶ He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced divination, sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger.

⁷ He took the carved Asherah pole he had made and put it in the temple, of which the Lord had said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my Name forever. ⁸ I will not again make the feet of the Israelites wander from the land I gave their ancestors, if only they will be careful to do everything I commanded them and will keep the whole Law that my servant Moses gave them.” ⁹ But the people did not listen. Manasseh led them astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites.

¹⁰ The Lord said through his servants the prophets: ¹¹ “Manasseh king of Judah has committed these detestable sins. He has done more evil than the Amorites who preceded him and has led Judah into sin with his idols. ¹² Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I am going to bring such disaster on Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle. ¹³ I will stretch out over Jerusalem the measuring line used against Samaria and the plumb line used against the house of Ahab. I will wipe out Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. ¹⁴ I will forsake the remnant of my inheritance and give them into the hands of enemies. They will be looted and plundered by all their enemies; ¹⁵ they have done evil in my eyes and have aroused my anger from the day their ancestors came out of Egypt until this day.”

¹⁶ Moreover, Manasseh also shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem from end to end—besides the sin that he had caused Judah to commit, so that they did evil in the eyes of the Lord.

¹⁷ As for the other events of Manasseh’s reign, and all he did, including the sin he committed, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? ¹⁸ Manasseh rested with his ancestors and was buried in his palace garden, the garden of Uzza. And Amon his son succeeded him as king.

Amon King of Judah

¹⁹ Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years. His mother’s name was Meshullemeth daughter of Haruz; she was from Jotbah. ²⁰ He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as his father Manasseh had done. ²¹ He followed completely the ways of his father, worshiping the idols his father had worshiped, and bowing down to them. ²² He forsook the Lord, the God of his ancestors, and did not walk in obedience to him.

²³ Amon’s officials conspired against him and assassinated the king in his palace. ²⁴ Then the people of the land killed all who had plotted against King Amon, and they made Josiah his son king in his place.

²⁵ As for the other events of Amon’s reign, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? ²⁶ He was buried in his tomb in the garden of Uzza. And Josiah his son succeeded him as king.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

How would it be to be known as the one most wicked in the eyes of God? Yikes!

Apparently, the miracles during the reign of Hezekiah made little impression on Manasseh’s heart. Remarkably, Manasseh became the most wicked king in Judah’s history, so much so that he is blamed for the fall of the southern kingdom!

We don’t know which prophets delivered this message, but nobody could misunderstand what they said. If Manasseh and the people didn’t repent and turn from their evil ways, God would send judgment so severe that just “hearing about it would make their ears tingle.” (Verse 12)

How will we be remembered?  What would the One who sees and knows our hearts write about us?

No matter how blatant evil becomes with nothing held back or hidden—God has not given up His authority. God knows and is in control even when we don’t see or feel it. Jesus will come back again.  God wins in the end. (I read ahead!)

Come back to God. Love Him completely with nothing held back. Take His Word as Truth for our good that declares His glory.  Believe that Jesus did exactly what God told Him to be and do—Seek and save the lost without God.  Jesus laid down His life for ours, once and for all, to remove our sins.  Receive this precious forever gift of salvation through repentance of all sins in the Name of Jesus who is our King of kings and Lord of lords. Surrender to God daily while enjoying a growing, intimately loving relationship with God who created each one of us with purpose. His Peace comes to those who truly believe. He promised and God always does what He says!

Lord,

Thank you again for another lesson from Your story of wisdom that gives us clarity and correction in our thinking and behaving. We find ourselves in your story of redemption just like you planned from the beginning!  Cleanse our hearts, renew our minds, refresh our souls with the beauty of truth, and restore the joy of you in us and us in you. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

In Jesus Name, Amen

We shake our heads at all the people who still use Ouija boards, stone pendants, crystals, etc. to predict outcomes of current situations. Just last night a singer on The Voice chose her coach based on her swinging pendant she held in her hand.  Wow. We cannot believe that people will fall for leaders who are full of themselves, seeking glory over serving people, and who only want what is good for them. Then we become leaders who fall for the glory seeking habit, too.  We tremble when evil overtakes a person who comes unexpectedly into a place meant for good, where kindness is taught with other lessons are learned to shoot anyone who stands in their way.  The shooter frequently seeks only the glory of notoriety because evil has taken over their entire being and convinced they are not worthy of the love of anyone. 

We wonder why our own finances take a turn for the worse when an unexpected large expense occurs and we don’t have enough to cover it.  We fall for trap to borrow more to pay more with interest!  We have no margin in our lives because we have conformed to the world around us who says we deserve all that we can acquire to satisfy our longings for more. We worship the idols of stuff and sacrifice our time, talents, and offerings for things of this earth that have little to no value that eventually make us feel worthless inside.

Israel had a problem.  We have a problem. We are the same in this problem. The problem is rebellion against the God, the One who created all and owns all. It began with Adam and Eve and continues throughout the ages. This rebellion is called sin. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”—of God’s best for us! (Romans 3:23)

Sin is anything that stands between the us and our worship of God alone. Sin leads us to worship whatever the current object of our affection in our mind and that we desire to own. These objects of affection include people, things, time, and/or anything else we worship instead of God.  Yes, we have a problem.

God warned Israel about the problem; but they did not listen.  Instead, they saw how other nations who didn’t know God sinned and decided to adopt their practices and conform to their way of sinning which included the sacrifice of their own children to their idol gods!  Ah, but we don’t do that, so we not as sinful as they were, right?  Are you on your phone right now reading this as your child is trying to get your attention?  Yikes.

Mm, I am reminded of Jesus’ parable of the Publican (Tax Collector) and the Pharisee.  “To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”—Jesus, Luke 18:9-14

God knows all hearts and knows all our sins, from the subtle to sensational.  He grieves when we worship anything other than Him.  But it seems most of us would rather worship what we can see, hear, smell, taste, and touch rather than the One Who knew us before we were born, knows our name, and holds our future in His hands. Sigh.

2 Kings 17

Hoshea Last King of Israel

In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years. ² He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.

³ Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up to attack Hoshea, who had been Shalmaneser’s vassal and had paid him tribute. ⁴ But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea was a traitor, for he had sent envoys to So king of Egypt, and he no longer paid tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore, Shalmaneser seized him and put him in prison. ⁵ The king of Assyria invaded the entire land, marched against Samaria and laid siege to it for three years. ⁶ In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River and in the towns of the Medes.

Israel Exiled Because of Sin

⁷ All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods ⁸ and followed the practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before them, as well as the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced. ⁹ The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city they built themselves high places in all their towns. ¹⁰ They set up sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree. ¹¹ At every high place they burned incense, as the nations whom the Lord had driven out before them had done. They did wicked things that aroused the Lord’s anger. ¹² They worshiped idols, though the Lord had said, “You shall not do this.” ¹³ The Lord warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers: “Turn from your evil ways. Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your ancestors to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets.”

¹⁴ But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God. ¹⁵ They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. They imitated the nations around them although the Lord had ordered them, “Do not do as they do.”

¹⁶ They forsook all the commands of the Lord their God and made for themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves, and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts, and they worshiped Baal. ¹⁷ They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sought omens and sold themselves to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger.

¹⁸ So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left, ¹⁹ and even Judah did not keep the commands of the Lord their God. They followed the practices Israel had introduced. ²⁰ Therefore the Lord rejected all the people of Israel; he afflicted them and gave them into the hands of plunderers, until he thrust them from his presence.

²¹ When he tore Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam son of Nebat their king. Jeroboam enticed Israel away from following the Lord and caused them to commit a great sin. ²² The Israelites persisted in all the sins of Jeroboam and did not turn away from them ²³ until the Lord removed them from his presence, as he had warned through all his servants the prophets. So the people of Israel were taken from their homeland into exile in Assyria, and they are still there.

Samaria Resettled

²⁴ The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Kuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took over Samaria and lived in its towns. ²⁵ When they first lived there, they did not worship the Lord; so he sent lions among them and they killed some of the people. ²⁶ It was reported to the king of Assyria: “The people you deported and resettled in the towns of Samaria do not know what the god of that country requires. He has sent lions among them, which are killing them off, because the people do not know what he requires.”

²⁷ Then the king of Assyria gave this order: “Have one of the priests you took captive from Samaria go back to live there and teach the people what the god of the land requires.” ²⁸ So one of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria came to live in Bethel and taught them how to worship the Lord.

²⁹ Nevertheless, each national group made its own gods in the several towns where they settled, and set them up in the shrines the people of Samaria had made at the high places. ³⁰ The people from Babylon made Sukkoth Benoth, those from Kuthah made Nergal, and those from Hamath made Ashima; ³¹ the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire as sacrifices to Adrammelek and Anammelek, the gods of Sepharvaim. ³² They worshiped the Lord, but they also appointed all sorts of their own people to officiate for them as priests in the shrines at the high places. ³³ They worshiped the Lord, but they also served their own gods in accordance with the customs of the nations from which they had been brought.

³⁴ To this day they persist in their former practices. They neither worship the Lord nor adhere to the decrees and regulations, the laws and commands that the Lord gave the descendants of Jacob, whom he named Israel. ³⁵ When the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites, he commanded them: “Do not worship any other gods or bow down to them, serve them or sacrifice to them. ³⁶ But the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm, is the one you must worship. To him you shall bow down and to him offer sacrifices. ³⁷ You must always be careful to keep the decrees and regulations, the laws and commands he wrote for you. Do not worship other gods. ³⁸ Do not forget the covenant I have made with you, and do not worship other gods. ³⁹ Rather, worship the Lord your God; it is he who will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.”

⁴⁰ They would not listen, however, but persisted in their former practices. ⁴¹ Even while these people were worshiping the Lord, they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their ancestors did.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Sin is sin. There is no ranking of sin.  Sin divides our attention from God to someone or something else.  Sin disobeys God’s best for us. Sin distracts and deceives us to be someone other than God created us to be with purpose in this life.  But sin is not the final answer.

God created a plan, The Plan, to redeem us of all sin once and for all. Here is the Truth and the Answer to our sin problem: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17

Let’s go back to Romans 3.  Paul further explains our sin problem that separates us from God to being made right with God.  Being “made right with God” is called “righteousness,” not perfection, but in right standing with God upon humbly repenting of our sins to Jesus who we believe as God’s Son. Jesus did what we cannot do for ourselves—remove our sins. In our imperfection we are made right because Jesus took all sin and sacrificed himself taking our place for the punishment we deserve.  We cannot earn it; only Jesus, perfect and without sin, could be that sacrifice for our sin.  Only Jesus reconciles (reconnects) us back to God.

“So where does that put us? Do we Jews get a better break than the others? Not really. Basically, all of us, whether insiders or outsiders, start out in identical conditions, which is to say that we all start out as sinners. Scripture leaves no doubt about it:

“There’s nobody living right, not even one, nobody who knows the score, nobody alert for God. They’ve all taken the wrong turn; they’ve all wandered down blind alleys.
No one’s living right; I can’t find a single one.
Their throats are gaping graves, their tongues slick as mudslides.
Every word they speak is tinged with poison. They open their mouths and pollute the air.
They race for the honor of sinner-of-the-year, litter the land with heartbreak and ruin,
Don’t know the first thing about living with others. They never give God the time of day.

This makes it clear, doesn’t it, that whatever is written in these Scriptures is not what God says about others but to us to whom these Scriptures were addressed in the first place! And it’s clear enough, isn’t it, that we’re sinners, every one of us, in the same sinking boat with everybody else? Our involvement with God’s revelation doesn’t put us right with God. What it does is force us to face our complicity in everyone else’s sin. –Paul to the church; Romans 3:9-20, MSG

Paul goes on to explain;

“But in our time something new has been added. What Moses and the prophets witnessed to all those years has happened. The God-setting-things-right that we read about has become Jesus-setting-things-right for us. And not only for us, but for everyone who believes in him. For there is no difference between us and them in this. Since we’ve compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ.” Romans 3:21-24

Hallelujah! To God be the glory, honor, and praise!

Jesus asks us today;

Do you really believe what I have done for you?

Do you believe that God’s Holy Spirit lives within all who believe with power over sin? 

Do you really believe all that God says to be really real?

Do you mean what you pray? Do you get caught up in just saying words and miss their meaning? Continue to pray often—but do so out of a humble, honest heart. If the fancy prayers and big words aren’t you—use your own. God wants to hear what you honestly pray.  God loves like no other and wants to hear from his beloved.

Lord,

You have my undivided attention. Cleanse my heart, renew my mind, make me new with your fresh mercies filling my soul. Restore the joy of you in me and me in you.  Thank you, thank you, thank you. I’m yours and I’m listening.

In Jesus Name, Amen