Category Archives: Purposeful / Intentional

Courage / Fear, Diligent / Hard Worker, Faith / Trusting God, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Purposeful / Intentional, Wise

What Can We Learn from the Leadership of Nehemiah?

Imagine yourself in Jerusalem among the people of God during Nehemiah’s leadership. He arrived and organized the people to rebuild the walls. He inspired and led the people. They had purpose and worked together against opposition. I am sure that must have been both exciting and stressful for the people. Once the wall was completed, was the mission done? No. There was more to be done.

Nehemiah was very good from a practical leadership perspective. He knew that building a wall, is not enough. You have to have a process to maintain it and to guard the people and manage the gates for entrance to the city. He knew this was important. and entrusted it to two men. The only criteria highlighted as credentials was that one was Nehemiah’s brother and the other feared God more than many. Seems simple, but this is important. These men Nehemiah could trust.   By putting in place people who would themselves look to God, Nehemiah could continue to focus elsewhere to lead the people. He could not do it all himself.

Nehemiah 7

Census of First Returned Exiles

      1Now when the wall was rebuilt and I had set up the doors, and the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed, 2then I put Hanani my brother, and Hananiah the commander of the fortress, in charge of Jerusalem, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many. 3Then I said to them, “Do not let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot, and while they are standing guard, let them shut and bolt the doors. Also appoint guards from the inhabitants of Jerusalem, each at his post, and each in front of his own house.” 4Now the city was large and spacious, but the people in it were few and the houses were not built.

      5Then my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the people to be enrolled by genealogies. Then I found the book of the genealogy of those who came up first in which I found the following record:

      6These are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his city, 7who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah.

      The number of men of the people of Israel: 8the sons of Parosh, 2,172; 9the sons of Shephatiah, 372; 10the sons of Arah, 652; 11the sons of Pahath-moab of the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2,818; 12the sons of Elam, 1,254; 13the sons of Zattu, 845; 14the sons of Zaccai, 760; 15the sons of Binnui, 648; 16the sons of Bebai, 628; 17the sons of Azgad, 2,322; 18the sons of Adonikam, 667; 19the sons of Bigvai, 2,067; 20the sons of Adin, 655; 21the sons of Ater, of Hezekiah, 98; 22the sons of Hashum, 328; 23the sons of Bezai, 324; 24the sons of Hariph, 112; 25the sons of Gibeon, 95; 26the men of Bethlehem and Netophah, 188; 27the men of Anathoth, 128; 28the men of Beth-azmaveth, 42; 29the men of Kiriath-jearim, Chephirah and Beeroth, 743; 30the men of Ramah and Geba, 621; 31the men of Michmas, 122; 32the men of Bethel and Ai, 123; 33the men of the other Nebo, 52; 34the sons of the other Elam, 1,254; 35the sons of Harim, 320; 36the men of Jericho, 345; 37the sons of Lod, Hadid and Ono, 721; 38the sons of Senaah, 3,930.

      39The priests: the sons of Jedaiah of the house of Jeshua, 973; 40the sons of Immer, 1,052; 41the sons of Pashhur, 1,247; 42the sons of Harim, 1,017.

      43The Levites: the sons of Jeshua, of Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodevah, 74. 44The singers: the sons of Asaph, 148. 45The gatekeepers: the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, the sons of Shobai, 138.

      46The temple servants: the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth, 47the sons of Keros, the sons of Sia, the sons of Padon, 48the sons of Lebana, the sons of Hagaba, the sons of Shalmai, 49the sons of Hanan, the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar, 50the sons of Reaiah, the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda, 51the sons of Gazzam, the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah, 52the sons of Besai, the sons of Meunim, the sons of Nephushesim, 53the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur, 54the sons of Bazlith, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha, 55the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Temah, 56the sons of Neziah, the sons of Hatipha.

      57The sons of Solomon’s servants: the sons of Sotai, the sons of Sophereth, the sons of Perida, 58the sons of Jaala, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel, 59the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth-hazzebaim, the sons of Amon.

      60All the temple servants and the sons of Solomon’s servants were 392.

      61These were they who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addon and Immer; but they could not show their fathers’ houses or their descendants, whether they were of Israel: 62the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, 642. 63Of the priests: the sons of Hobaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai, the Gileadite, and was named after them. 64These searched among their ancestral registration, but it could not be located; therefore they were considered unclean and excluded from the priesthood. 65The governor said to them that they should not eat from the most holy things until a priest arose with Urim and Thummim.

Total of People and Gifts

      66The whole assembly together was 42,360, 67besides their male and their female servants, of whom there were 7,337; and they had 245 male and female singers. 68Their horses were 736; their mules, 245; 69their camels, 435; their donkeys, 6,720.

      70Some from among the heads of fathers’ households gave to the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 gold drachmas, 50 basins, 530 priests’ garments. 71Some of the heads of fathers’ households gave into the treasury of the work 20,000 gold drachmas and 2,200 silver minas. 72That which the rest of the people gave was 20,000 gold drachmas and 2,000 silver minas and 67 priests’ garments.

      73Now the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants and all Israel, lived in their cities.
And when the seventh month came, the sons of Israel were in their cities.

I find it interesting to see the priorities upon completing the walls and hanging the doors. First Nehemiah assigned the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites. Most of us would connect with the gatekeepers as making sense. We may be a bit more surprised by the Levites and the singers as worthy of call out, but this is consistent throughout scripture. The singers play an important role, but it is not entertainment as we may think today. It was to raise up in song praise to God. The Levites properly assigned enabled the society at that time to live according to God’s laws. Levites were an integral part of living out aspects of the law. We can also see from the rest of the passage that family structure is important. It is a key and consistent way in which God’s people organized in society. Further, we see the willing donation of gifts brought by the people as offerings to God.

One element which I want to develop a bit further pertains to defense. Sometimes people are inclined to completely pass on their responsibility for their own welfare or security or provision and they just say they will “trust in God”. While it is good to trust in God, and Nehemiah certainly did, we should also take wise action to protect ourselves and provide for ourselves and not put God to the test. Prayer and action. Both are elements we see in Nehemiah that are key to how he led the people successfully. He was not random or dismissive. Even having people guard or build the wall near their own homes was strategic and ties into human nature. People will do a better job if it is really personal!

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help Your people to work together in unity. Help us to function as a community, as a single body. Raise up and organize us with leaders, those who sing and praise, those who protect, those who help us carry out your laws and instructions, and so on. Let us not all seclude ourselves separately but band together for Your glory and to restore Your ways. Amen.

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

 

All Powerful / King of All, Courage / Fear, Diligent / Hard Worker, Discerning / Judging, Faith / Trusting God, Protector / Deliverer, Provider, Purposeful / Intentional, Wise

Proceed with Caution: Adversaries Ahead

It is interesting to try to even understand the motivation of those who came against Nehemiah. Why were they so bound and determined to try to stop what he was doing in rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem? Sometimes people come against us and we really can’t discern what is in it for them. They seem content just to disrupt any work being undertaken for the LORD and His glory. They want to intimidate God’s people to stop. They are willing to deceive and outright lie. They are willing to threaten and try to rally others against God’s work and God’s people.

Let Nehemiah serve as a solid reminder that we must keep our heads and be courageous. We must seek discernment and act wisely in our response. Do not believe everything you hear or trust everyone who reaches out.

Nehemiah 6

The Enemy’s Plot

      1Now when it was reported to Sanballat, Tobiah, to Geshem the Arab and to the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall, and that no breach remained in it, although at that time I had not set up the doors in the gates, 2then Sanballat and Geshem sent a message to me, saying, “Come, let us meet together at Chephirim in the plain of Ono.” But they were planning to harm me. 3So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” 4They sent messages to me four times in this manner, and I answered them in the same way. 5Then Sanballat sent his servant to me in the same manner a fifth time with an open letter in his hand. 6In it was written, “It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel; therefore you are rebuilding the wall. And you are to be their king, according to these reports. 7“You have also appointed prophets to proclaim in Jerusalem concerning you, ‘A king is in Judah!’ And now it will be reported to the king according to these reports. So come now, let us take counsel together.” 8Then I sent a message to him saying, “Such things as you are saying have not been done, but you are inventing them in your own mind.” 9For all of them were trying to frighten us, thinking, “They will become discouraged with the work and it will not be done.” But now, O God, strengthen my hands.

      10When I entered the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined at home, he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you, and they are coming to kill you at night.” 11But I said, “Should a man like me flee? And could one such as I go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.” 12Then I perceived that surely God had not sent him, but he uttered his prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13He was hired for this reason, that I might become frightened and act accordingly and sin, so that they might have an evil report in order that they could reproach me. 14Remember, O my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these works of theirs, and also Noadiah the prophetess and the rest of the prophets who were trying to frighten me.

The Wall Is Finished

      15So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. 16When all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations surrounding us saw it, they lost their confidence; for they recognized that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God. 17Also in those days many letters went from the nobles of Judah to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them. 18For many in Judah were bound by oath to him because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah. 19Moreover, they were speaking about his good deeds in my presence and reported my words to him. Then Tobiah sent letters to frighten me.

As you seek to obey God’s written word and any specific guidance He gives you for your life, be wary that some may and likely will come against you. You may not even understand their motivation, but you will need to be wise and courageous none the less. Seek God and seek the fellowship and help from others who are standing with you for God’s work. Watch carefully not to be tricked into compromising your obedience to God as you respond to them.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please lead and guide your people to come together to accomplish Your will. Raise up righteous leaders like Nehemiah to lead with courage and wisdom. Protect us from those who would come against us and against You.  Let the success we experience in accomplishing Your will bring glory and honor to You rather than us. Amen.

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Courage / Fear, Interceding for Others, Learning To Pray Effectively, Protector / Deliverer, Purposeful / Intentional, Strong in Our Weakness

How Do We Stand Up to Ridicule and Resistance?

Nehemiah and the Jews at Jerusalem faced fierce opposition. It started with mocking but continued to grow into a threat of violence. They were on a mission to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. How should they respond?

We will often face resistance personally or collectively as God’s people also. We can learn from how Nehemiah led the people to respond.

Nehemiah 4

Work Is Ridiculed

      1Now it came about that when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry and mocked the Jews. 2He spoke in the presence of his brothers and the wealthy men of Samaria and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Are they going to restore it for themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they finish in a day? Can they revive the stones from the dusty rubble even the burned ones?” 3Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near him and he said, “Even what they are building—if a fox should jump on it, he would break their stone wall down!”

      4Hear, O our God, how we are despised! Return their reproach on their own heads and give them up for plunder in a land of captivity. 5Do not forgive their iniquity and let not their sin be blotted out before You, for they have demoralized the builders.

      6So we built the wall and the whole wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.

      7Now when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repair of the walls of Jerusalem went on, and that the breaches began to be closed, they were very angry. 8All of them conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause a disturbance in it.

Discouragement Overcome

      9But we prayed to our God, and because of them we set up a guard against them day and night.

      10Thus in Judah it was said,
“The strength of the burden bearers is failing,
Yet there is much rubbish;
And we ourselves are unable
To rebuild the wall.”

11Our enemies said, “They will not know or see until we come among them, kill them and put a stop to the work.” 12When the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times, “They will come up against us from every place where you may turn,” 13then I stationed men in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, the exposed places, and I stationed the people in families with their swords, spears and bows. 14When I saw their fear, I rose and spoke to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people: “Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your houses.”

      15When our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had frustrated their plan, then all of us returned to the wall, each one to his work. 16From that day on, half of my servants carried on the work while half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows and the breastplates; and the captains were behind the whole house of Judah. 17Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens took their load with one hand doing the work and the other holding a weapon. 18As for the builders, each wore his sword girded at his side as he built, while the trumpeter stood near me. 19I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated on the wall far from one another. 20“At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.”

      21So we carried on the work with half of them holding spears from dawn until the stars appeared. 22At that time I also said to the people, “Let each man with his servant spend the night within Jerusalem so that they may be a guard for us by night and a laborer by day.” 23So neither I, my brothers, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us removed our clothes, each took his weapon even to the water.

Nehemiah turned to God and prayed, asking for help. However, he also took strong and well thought out action as well. He stationed the guard to be ready to defend while continuing to build the wall. He kept moving ahead with God’s mission. Prayer and action. Both are important parts of the solution to many challenges and opposition we may endure.

They were willing to work hard and sacrifice. They endured mocking and threats. They endured discomfort in terms of building always ready to fight. The people were committed wholeheartedly, not just to the point of convenience. Often today I perceive people are only committed to the point of convenience. A five-minute prayer and then do nothing while you wait for God to solve it. Reading Nehemiah challenges me to reevaluate my own life to be sure. What am I doing to resist abortion? What about false teaching in schools that moves our children farther from God? When I see someone persecuted for their faith, do I stand with them as I pray for them? Or do I simply pass a quick prayer and go about my business? Do I even come back to pray for them earnestly and repeatedly? These are all fair points to ask.

As a parting thought, some may not agree with how Nehemiah prayed against his enemies. He did not simply pray they would be forgiven, but that their sin would be held against them. Just note that he was not rebuked in scripture for this prayer. Asking for our enemies and the enemies of God to be defeated is not offensive to God. He answered the prayer and helped the Jews.

I invite you to pray with me:

 Father, please help Your people to stand boldly and stand together in the face of opposition including mocking and threats. Help us to come earnestly in prayer before You and also to have wisdom and courage to take strong and wise action to continue with the mission You have given us. Defeat the plans of the enemy or various enemies who may come against us. Amen. 

 

Church / Body of Christ, Learning To Pray Effectively, Purposeful / Intentional

The Power of Prayer and Action, and Working Together

Nehemiah 3 serves as striking reminder that an overwhelming task can be tackled when we work together as the people of Yahweh. What one person cannot achieve, many working together will achieve! We can speculate that God stirred the spirits of all these families to rebuild the wall, but the scripture does not say that in Nehemiah 3 as it did in the beginning of Ezra.

Nehemiah 3

Builders of the Walls

      1Then Eliashib the high priest arose with his brothers the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and hung its doors. They consecrated the wall to the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel. 2Next to him the men of Jericho built, and next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built.

      3Now the sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors with its bolts and bars. 4Next to them Meremoth the son of Uriah the son of Hakkoz made repairs. And next to him Meshullam the son of Berechiah the son of Meshezabel made repairs. And next to him Zadok the son of Baana also made repairs. 5Moreover, next to him the Tekoites made repairs, but their nobles did not support the work of their masters.

      6Joiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the Old Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors with its bolts and its bars. 7Next to them Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah, also made repairs for the official seat of the governor of the province beyond the River. 8Next to him Uzziel the son of Harhaiah of the goldsmiths made repairs. And next to him Hananiah, one of the perfumers, made repairs, and they restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall. 9Next to them Rephaiah the son of Hur, the official of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs. 10Next to them Jedaiah the son of Harumaph made repairs opposite his house. And next to him Hattush the son of Hashabneiah made repairs. 11Malchijah the son of Harim and Hasshub the son of Pahath-moab repaired another section and the Tower of Furnaces. 12Next to him Shallum the son of Hallohesh, the official of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs, he and his daughters.

      13Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate. They built it and hung its doors with its bolts and its bars, and a thousand cubits of the wall to the Refuse Gate.

      14Malchijah the son of Rechab, the official of the district of Beth-haccherem repaired the Refuse Gate. He built it and hung its doors with its bolts and its bars.

      15Shallum the son of Col-hozeh, the official of the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate. He built it, covered it and hung its doors with its bolts and its bars, and the wall of the Pool of Shelah at the king’s garden as far as the steps that descend from the city of David. 16After him Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, official of half the district of Beth-zur, made repairs as far as a point opposite the tombs of David, and as far as the artificial pool and the house of the mighty men. 17After him the Levites carried out repairs under Rehum the son of Bani. Next to him Hashabiah, the official of half the district of Keilah, carried out repairs for his district. 18After him their brothers carried out repairs under Bavvai the son of Henadad, official of the other half of the district of Keilah. 19Next to him Ezer the son of Jeshua, the official of Mizpah, repaired another section in front of the ascent of the armory at the Angle. 20After him Baruch the son of Zabbai zealously repaired another section, from the Angle to the doorway of the house of Eliashib the high priest. 21After him Meremoth the son of Uriah the son of Hakkoz repaired another section, from the doorway of Eliashib’s house even as far as the end of his house. 22After him the priests, the men of the valley, carried out repairs. 23After them Benjamin and Hasshub carried out repairs in front of their house. After them Azariah the son of Maaseiah, son of Ananiah, carried out repairs beside his house. 24After him Binnui the son of Henadad repaired another section, from the house of Azariah as far as the Angle and as far as the corner. 25Palal the son of Uzai made repairs in front of the Angle and the tower projecting from the upper house of the king, which is by the court of the guard. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh made repairs. 26The temple servants living in Ophel made repairs as far as the front of the Water Gate toward the east and the projecting tower. 27After them the Tekoites repaired another section in front of the great projecting tower and as far as the wall of Ophel.

      28Above the Horse Gate the priests carried out repairs, each in front of his house. 29After them Zadok the son of Immer carried out repairs in front of his house. And after him Shemaiah the son of Shecaniah, the keeper of the East Gate, carried out repairs. 30After him Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section. After him Meshullam the son of Berechiah carried out repairs in front of his own quarters. 31After him Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, carried out repairs as far as the house of the temple servants and of the merchants, in front of the Inspection Gate and as far as the upper room of the corner. 32Between the upper room of the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and the merchants carried out repairs.

It is good to pull together toward works that glorify God, especially when we can participate in one that He has already identified as important to Him. In other words, we do even better when we find out where He is already working and join Him rather than trying to create a new work that we think is good on our own. God had already planned to restore Jerusalem, even when the exile started. It was time.

Are there areas in your life or in your community where you see God is already moving? Does it line up with His written word? Ask God what your role should be in that activity. Don’t just leave it to someone else. What if the people just left rebuilding the wall to Nehemiah? Some are needed to lead, and some are needed to work alongside and follow. In that way, we accomplish more working together for God’s glory.

Recall that the power of prayer helped get the effort restarted to rebuild the wall, but the wall would not have been rebuilt if Nehemiah and others had not also taken action to go build it! God helped, but they had an action role also. This is often the case.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please raise up leaders and followers to pull together to accomplish Your work and lead Your people back to You and Your ways. Help prompt us in our spirit to get involved and active where You want us. Help us not to be content to only pray if we can pray and help “build the wall” also! Show Your people where You are already at work around us and help us to understand and act to get involved where You want us. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Devotions by John, Grace / Forgiveness, Love, Obeying God, Purposeful / Intentional, Repenting from Sin, Righteous, Teachable

By What Standard Was Yeshua Judged Righteous?

Most of us that identify as Christians or Messianic Jews would readily accept and recognize that Yeshua was without sin according to scripture. It is a core tenant of our faith. It was through His sacrifice as one without blemish, without sin, that we who sin are forgiven.

2 Corinthians 5:21

21He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

We should then ask ourselves, “By what standard was Yeshua judged sinless, and by what same standard then are we sinners?” It would make sense for us to know the standard by which Yeshua and we are judged so that we may try to follow it more closely, even if we will never get to “sinless” in our own actions and attitudes.

Righteousness refers to behavior that is morally justifiable and right. It is God who sets the standards for righteousness, not man. The standards are laid out in His law and through scripture. It is by this standard that Yeshua was judged righteous, by perfect adherence to the law of God.  (Got Questions – What is Righteousness?)

Ultimately, we are unable to do as Yeshua in keeping the law perfectly. We sin. We fall short. We can be forgiven and judged righteous through accepting Yeshua as our Lord and savior. We repent from our sins and try to follow His example and God’s standards as best we can. He is our example.

I find it very unusual then, how many Christians take advantage of the grace of God and declare the law of God to be no more. They declare that Yeshua observed it perfectly, so we don’t have to! But does that really mean that God has changed the standard of righteousness? or just that He extends grace as we strive for it and fall short?

It should seem fairly obvious. Any time a parent is teaching a child, or a skilled craftsman is teaching an apprentice… the answer is the same. I show you the right way to do it and then you try to do it that way. Never does it make sense that because the teacher did it correctly and took time to show us how to do it correctly, really they meant that we should ignore it and do as we please because they love us.  It makes no sense.

Should we break the law and sin on purpose and rely on grace? Paul had strong words for this question.

Romans 6:1-7

   1What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? 3Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7for he who has died is freed from sin.

The simple answer is that we should not just go our own way because we can be forgiven through Christ. In fact, one might even question if we have this attitude, do we really love and submit to Yeshua in the way needed to receive forgiveness.

John 14:15 (Yeshua speaking)

     15“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

Matthew 5:17-19 (Yeshua speaking)

17“Do not presume that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. 18For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter shall pass from the Law, until all is accomplished! 19Therefore, whoever nullifies one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Paul makes emphatically the point that we should not sin freely to rely on grace.  Yeshua sets us free from bondage to sin, not bondage to the law of God! The law of God is not bondage, it is freedom! (Read more – Is God’s Law a Burden?)

The conclusion of the matter is that the law of God is still our standard for righteousness and we are to obey it rather than traditions and teachings of men. When we fall short, the grace of God is there to catch us and make us righteous through Yeshua. We should strive to understand and follow the full law of God and not make it a menu from which we choose what we will follow and what we will not. (Read more – Understanding the Law – What Does It Mean for Us Today?)

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help Your people to return to Your instructions and turn from the ways of men, even those taught in churches that are not correct. Please open the eyes of the spiritually blind and help all of us to see more clearly how You want us to live! None of us have it right! Thank You for grace and mercy. Please help us not to use that as an excuse to live however we want. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Fear / Reverence for God, Heaven and Hell, Purposeful / Intentional, Share the Good News, Thankfulness, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Don’t wait for a sign!

Many of us know someone who has embraced the idea that they will accept Jesus when He gives them a sign. Others who may have accepted Jesus are waiting for a sign before they tell others boldly about Him.

This can be a trap! The truth is that God has already given us many signs and miracles. They are well documented in the Bible. If we wait for Him to send another sign before we accept Him or before we choose to share the good news of the gospel with others… it may be too late for us and for those we love.

In Luke 16:19-31 [NLT] Jesus tells us about Lazarus and a rich man.  Lazarus is a poor man who despite much hardship in his life accepted God. The rich man, despite much luxury and worldly gain,  rejected God. They both die and the rich man finds himself in hell, but able to see Lazarus in heaven.  He realizes it is too late for him and immediately thinks of those he loves…

“Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him [Lazarus] to my father’s home. For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’ The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’ But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead.’

Jesus Himself died for us and has risen from the dead. He was a public, recognizable figure. He was publicly brutalized with many witnesses and executed in broad daylight for all to see. After rising on the third day he was witnessed by hundreds of people over several weeks moving about in good health. All of this is well documented.

Sadly, most of the world and even most of those that have heard about Jesus Christ do not accept Him as Lord and Savior, even though He died and rose again to come back and tell us.

Don’t miss the opportunity to accept Jesus as your savior, to share Him with those you know, and to share the Good News even with those you don’t know as you interact with them in your daily walk.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, help me to stand boldly for You and to submit and serve You with confidence. Help me not make excuses to be silent. Make me more uncomfortable to sit silently by not telling people about You than I ever would feel uncomfortable sharing the good news! Amen.

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Courage / Fear, Purposeful / Intentional, Submitted / Servant

Adversaries Will Come Against God’s People

As I read Ezra, I continue to see significant parallels to compare (1) God’s people returning to Jerusalem to reestablish the temple and living according to his ways with (2) any believer or group of believes turning away from the ways of man to turn or return to God and His ways. Keep this in mind as you read Ezra. It is not just about a singular event in history. It informs us even today for our own lives.

Wherever God’s people are at work trying to live according to His instructions, adversaries will rise up to come against them. Many are deceptive and do not have similar moral boundaries that constrain how they will confront God’s people. They lie, deceive, cheat, and many other such things. They will strive to hinder the repentance or work that God’s people are trying to achieve.

Ezra 4

Adversaries Hinder the Work

      1Now when the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the people of the exile were building a temple to the LORD God of Israel, 2they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers’ households, and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we, like you, seek your God; and we have been sacrificing to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here.” 3But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of fathers’ households of Israel said to them, “You have nothing in common with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves will together build to the LORD God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia has commanded us.”

      4Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah, and frightened them from building, 5and hired counselors against them to frustrate their counsel all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

      6Now in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.

      7And in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of his colleagues wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the text of the letter was written in Aramaic and translated from Aramaic.

The Letter to King Artaxerxes

      8Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes, as follows— 9then wrote Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe and the rest of their colleagues, the judges and the lesser governors, the officials, the secretaries, the men of Erech, the Babylonians, the men of Susa, that is, the Elamites, 10and the rest of the nations which the great and honorable Osnappar deported and settled in the city of Samaria, and in the rest of the region beyond the River. Now 11this is the copy of the letter which they sent to him:
“To King Artaxerxes: Your servants, the men in the region beyond the River, and now 12let it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you have come to us at Jerusalem; they are rebuilding the rebellious and evil city and are finishing the walls and repairing the foundations. 13“Now let it be known to the king, that if that city is rebuilt and the walls are finished, they will not pay tribute, custom or toll, and it will damage the revenue of the kings. 14“Now because we are in the service of the palace, and it is not fitting for us to see the king’s dishonor, therefore we have sent and informed the king, 15so that a search may be made in the record books of your fathers. And you will discover in the record books and learn that that city is a rebellious city and damaging to kings and provinces, and that they have incited revolt within it in past days; therefore that city was laid waste. 16“We inform the king that if that city is rebuilt and the walls finished, as a result you will have no possession in the province beyond the River.”

The King Replies and Work Stops

     17Then the king sent an answer to Rehum the commander, to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their colleagues who live in Samaria and in the rest of the provinces beyond the River: “Peace. And now 18the document which you sent to us has been translated and read before me. 19“A decree has been issued by me, and a search has been made and it has been discovered that that city has risen up against the kings in past days, that rebellion and revolt have been perpetrated in it, 20that mighty kings have ruled over Jerusalem, governing all the provinces beyond the River, and that tribute, custom and toll were paid to them. 21“So, now issue a decree to make these men stop work, that this city may not be rebuilt until a decree is issued by me. 22“Beware of being negligent in carrying out this matter; why should damage increase to the detriment of the kings?”

      23Then as soon as the copy of King Artaxerxes’ document was read before Rehum and Shimshai the scribe and their colleagues, they went in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews and stopped them by force of arms.

      24Then work on the house of God in Jerusalem ceased, and it was stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Of course, we will read more on how this story is resolved in the coming chapters of Ezra. Will the people give up? Will they find a way forward? Will God intervene? What can you learn about this situation that may relate to your own life? Read on through Ezra if you like and find out. We will continue walking through this study as well.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for Your word. Thank You for fellowship and support of others of your people who can stand and work alongside us to accomplish Your purposes. Help us to overcome any adversaries that may come against us. Grant us wisdom and discernment and Your hand of blessing to help us move ahead to Your glory. Raise up more in number of people who worship You and strive to understand the Hebrew Roots of our faith in Messiah and the implications it has on how we should live today. Raise up more workers for the harvest, to lead Your people in the right direction. Amen!

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Children, Church / Body of Christ, Courage / Fear, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Holy / Set Apart, Obeying God, Purposeful / Intentional, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Repenting from Sin, Seeking God, Teachable

Get Comfortable Being Different

Josiah was a righteous king. When he died, his son Joahaz became king, but was quickly deposed by Egypt. Jehoiakim became king in his place and did evil in the site of the LORD. He was removed by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon after 11 years. His son, Jehoiachin, reigned only 3 months but is still highlighted as doing evil.

As I reflect on this pattern in 2 Chronicles, I cannot help but think how easy it is for a nation, a family, or even an individual to slip into the traditions of men instead of the instructions of Yahweh.  It takes strong leadership and courage to lead a family or nation out of ways that are wicked in the face of Yah, but well accepted by man. It is very easy to get accustomed to the ways of men around you and move further and further away from the LORD’s ways.

We truly must remind ourselves and pray for Yah to help us to remain set apart from the ways of man. That means we will often stand alone or in the minority. Many around us will not understand the choices we make. We will be different than those around us. But this is also necessary to be set apart and holy for Yah’s use.

Get comfortable being different.

2 Chronicles 36:1-9

Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, then Jehoiachin Rule

      1Then the people of the land took Joahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in place of his father in Jerusalem. 2Joahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. 3Then the king of Egypt deposed him at Jerusalem, and imposed on the land a fine of one hundred talents of silver and one talent of gold. 4The king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took Joahaz his brother and brought him to Egypt.

      5Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and he did evil in the sight of the LORD his God. 6Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against him and bound him with bronze chains to take him to Babylon. 7Nebuchadnezzar also brought some of the articles of the house of the LORD to Babylon and put them in his temple at Babylon. 8Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim and the abominations which he did, and what was found against him, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son became king in his place.

      9Jehoiachin was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem, and he did evil in the sight of the LORD.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please raise up righteous leaders who will lead us in the restoration of Your ways. Give them courage, discernment and Your hand of blessing to help them prosper in Your work. Please remove wicked leaders from our local, state, and national (and global) government and leadership in business, education and other areas. Lead us in the restoration of Your ways! Draw Your people together in unity, standing against and separate from the ways of men. Bring us together in greater and greater numbers. Help us to be teachable and submitted as You call us away from many traditions and inaccurate teachings of men that Christians have followed for centuries so that we could embrace a return to Your ways fully! Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Hope, Kindness / Gentleness, Purposeful / Intentional, Repenting from Sin, Seeking God, Traditions / Holidays

We Are All One in Messiah (Reflecting on MLK Jr)

As we as a nation reflect on the life and contribution of Martin Luther King Jr, let us also put our focus on God’s word in the Bible and let it guide our path.

Many people have been misled to believe that we are significantly different based on the color of our skin. Our culture over emphasizes this and creates a point of division among us. When we look at God’s word, we see that there is one race of humans, not many based on color, and that we are all equal and all made in the image of God. There is not one that is better than the rest or should receive preferential treatment over the others.

Man is made in the image of God. We are made man and woman. There is no mention of skin color as a key differentiator. Differences in skin color are just part of the wonderful variety of God’s creative nature… like hair color or height or eye color.

Genesis 1:26-27

      26Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Paul makes the point in Galatians that we are all one in Christ Jesus. If we belong to Christ, then we are Abraham’s descendants. We have been grafted into Israel (Romans 11:11-36). We can see in this context that the real division within man is not the color of our skin or our gender or social status, but rather whether or not we have accepted Christ as our Lord.

Galatians 3:28-29

28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.

Martin Luther King Jr is well known and perhaps one of his best known speeches was in Washington DC in August 1963.

As a nation, we have made much progress since that time and I am sure God is pleased at that progress. Many will focus today on a never-ending list of grievances without even pausing to recognize the significant progress made. To the extent there is further to go, we should take care on how we address it. We should not emphasize division and conflict between the citizens of our great nation, but rather focus on how we come together peacefully. We should not make enemies of certain people groups in the name of helping others. That is not what God or leaders like Martin Luther King Jr would want. We are all made in God’s image. Let us focus on drawing closer to Him and we will draw closer to each other as well, no matter what color skin we have.

To help us reflect on the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr, I am going to highlight a few snippets of the speech here. The full content of the speech can be found at the following link, Martin Luther King I Have a Dream Speech – American Rhetoric.

He speaks highly of Abraham Lincoln, our Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. He was not trying to undermine our nation’s history or destroy it, but rather look to it as a righteous guide.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

—

When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.

He called for white and black to be considered equal, not to condemn those who are white in order to try to help those who are black.

This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the “unalienable Rights” of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

He did not want people to degrade to violence but rather to focus on peaceful protesting.

But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.

He was positive on the potential for America based on its founding. He was positive on the American dream.  He did not see America through the eyes of despair as a place that needed to be burned down and remade. He led a hopeful message and not one of despair. He focused on the vision of what we want to achieve together and avoided a path of violence and anger and destruction. Once again he emphasized what God’s word tells us, what is reflected in the founding documents of our nation, that all men are created equal.

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

He helped people visualize a world as it should be, where people are not judged based on skin color. He did not say treat black people better than white people to get even or make up for the past. He pointed towards the principle’s of God and our nation’s founding documents.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

He brought the focus to our Creator.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; “and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.”2

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day — this will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning:

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help our nation come together as one nation, under You. Open our eyes to the wonderful diversity you have made in how you have made man. Let us not create division based on physical differences. Let us not consider ourselves multiple races of man. Let us recognize that we are all one, all made in the image of God. None are to be considered better or worse than the rest based on the color of our skin… neither black, white, brown, or any other color. Help us come together by seeking You and help us to see one another as You do. Amen.

Shalom.

Devotion by John in service to Christ

—-

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Arrogance, Faith / Trusting God, Healer, Humility, Miracles, Money / Finances / Wealth, Prayer, Pride, Protector / Deliverer, Provider, Purposeful / Intentional, Strong in Our Weakness, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

What Can We Learn from Assyria’s Invasion of Judah?

As I read 2 Chronicles 32, I tend to focus on at least three perspectives: Hezekiah, Yahweh, and Sennacherib. Of course, you can explore more as well, such as the perspective of the people of Israel or the soldiers of Sennacherib. Each perspective helps us understand key elements of God’s interaction with man that still apply today.

I find it interesting to read through this passage several times, each time focused on one of the different perspectives identified above. For example, I read first focused on the events from Hezekiah’s perspective, then a second time from the perspective of Sennacherib, and then again from that of Yahweh.

For background context consider reading 2 Chronicles 29 30, and 31. Hezekiah is a righteous king, doing what is good in the sight of the LORD and leading his people out of sin and rebellion to Yahweh and into a right worship and lifestyle according to Yah’s ways.

2 Chronicles 32

Sennacherib Invades Judah

      1After these acts of faithfulness Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah and besieged the fortified cities, and thought to break into them for himself. 2Now when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and that he intended to make war on Jerusalem, 3he decided with his officers and his warriors to cut off the supply of water from the springs which were outside the city, and they helped him. 4So many people assembled and stopped up all the springs and the stream which flowed through the region, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find abundant water?” 5And he took courage and rebuilt all the wall that had been broken down and erected towers on it, and built another outside wall and strengthened the Millo in the city of David, and made weapons and shields in great number. 6He appointed military officers over the people and gathered them to him in the square at the city gate, and spoke encouragingly to them, saying, 7“Be strong and courageous, do not fear or be dismayed because of the king of Assyria nor because of all the horde that is with him; for the one with us is greater than the one with him. 8“With him is only an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people relied on the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

Sennacherib Undermines Hezekiah

      9After this Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem while he was besieging Lachish with all his forces with him, against Hezekiah king of Judah and against all Judah who were at Jerusalem, saying, 10“Thus says Sennacherib king of Assyria, ‘On what are you trusting that you are remaining in Jerusalem under siege? 11‘Is not Hezekiah misleading you to give yourselves over to die by hunger and by thirst, saying, “The LORD our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria”? 12‘Has not the same Hezekiah taken away His high places and His altars, and said to Judah and Jerusalem, “You shall worship before one altar, and on it you shall burn incense”? 13‘Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of the lands? Were the gods of the nations of the lands able at all to deliver their land from my hand? 14‘Who was there among all the gods of those nations which my fathers utterly destroyed who could deliver his people out of my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you from my hand? 15‘Now therefore, do not let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you like this, and do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you from my hand?’”

      16His servants spoke further against the LORD God and against His servant Hezekiah. 17He also wrote letters to insult the LORD God of Israel, and to speak against Him, saying, “As the gods of the nations of the lands have not delivered their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliver His people from my hand.” 18They called this out with a loud voice in the language of Judah to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten and terrify them, so that they might take the city. 19They spoke of the God of Jerusalem as of the gods of the peoples of the earth, the work of men’s hands.

Hezekiah’s Prayer Is Answered

      20But King Hezekiah and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed about this and cried out to heaven. 21And the LORD sent an angel who destroyed every mighty warrior, commander and officer in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned in shame to his own land. And when he had entered the temple of his god, some of his own children killed him there with the sword. 22So the LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side. 23And many were bringing gifts to the LORD at Jerusalem and choice presents to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations thereafter.

      24In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill; and he prayed to the LORD, and the LORD spoke to him and gave him a sign. 25But Hezekiah gave no return for the benefit he received, because his heart was proud; therefore wrath came on him and on Judah and Jerusalem. 26However, Hezekiah humbled the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD did not come on them in the days of Hezekiah.

      27Now Hezekiah had immense riches and honor; and he made for himself treasuries for silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields and all kinds of valuable articles, 28storehouses also for the produce of grain, wine and oil, pens for all kinds of cattle and sheepfolds for the flocks. 29He made cities for himself and acquired flocks and herds in abundance, for God had given him very great wealth. 30It was Hezekiah who stopped the upper outlet of the waters of Gihon and directed them to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all that he did. 31Even in the matter of the envoys of the rulers of Babylon, who sent to him to inquire of the wonder that had happened in the land, God left him alone only to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart.

      32Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his deeds of devotion, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 33So Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the upper section of the tombs of the sons of David; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem honored him at his death. And his son Manasseh became king in his place.

I want to summarize some key points from each perspective: Hezekiah, Sennacherib, and Yahweh. As you read and reflect, consider how each may apply in your life today.

Hezekiah:

  • He was in right relationship with Yahweh.
  • He still faced difficulties and trials that were significant. It was not because of any sin of his own.
  • He trusted faithfully in the power of Yahweh over that of men.
  • He did not complain about why Yah would allow this to happen, but instead he turned to Yah for help.
  • He took wise and bold action on his own to prepare for war in regards to what he could do on his own, and then he also sought Yah in prayer to rescue him.
  • After Yah granted miraculous victory, Hezekiah and the LORD were both honored with gifts and respect.
  • Yah healed Hezekiah, but he then acted with a proud heart. The LORD provided correction to Hezekiah. Hezekiah repented and humbled his heart before the LORD, and the LORD relented. This pattern is one similar to that of David and we do well to watch out we do not lose our humility and if we do, that we repent.
  •  Hezekiah was blessed with financial wealth from Yah. This is not necessarily a promise that all who follow Yah will be financially rich. Consider many prophets and disciples who were clearly not wealthy. Trust in Yah either way but praise Him for what He does provide to you.

Sennacherib:

  • He had no respect for or relationship with Yahweh.
  • He was very proud and arrogant.
  • He had full trust in his own ability to control any outcome based on the strength of his resources (e.g. army).
  • He boldly disrespected Yah, comparing Him to the common false gods and idols of other nations.
  • Once Yah decided to defeat Sennacherib as an answer to prayer, all his earthly power was totally meaningless.
  • He faced defeat which he likely never fully understood, but it was based on his standing against the one true God.
  • When he died, he ended up in eternal suffering.

Yahweh:

  • Yah favored Hezekiah, but still allowed him to face significant difficulty and challenges.
  • Yah surely did not favor Sennacherib, but still allowed him to accomplish much and be mighty in the eyes of men. He had much worldly power.
  • When the righteous called out for help, Yah defeated Sennacherib without action needed from Hezekiah or his army.
  • When the righteous, Hezekiah, was ill and asked for help, Yah healed him. This does not mean Yah will heal everyone who is righteous.
  • When Hezekiah became proud in his heart, Yah rebuked him and humbled him. When Hezekiah repented, Yah forgave him and showed mercy.
  • Yah blessed Hezekiah with riches and honor.

I hope you have found this as interesting a study as I have. I encourage you to think through from more perspectives as well and write it out. Then reflect how it applies. Considering the perspective of the people of Judah or Sennacherib’s army surely brings an angle of those who were not the leaders into play that would be interesting to explore. Remember, this is not just history, but relevant for how we should live still today.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please show me how to apply this history to my personal life. Help me to walk in right relationship with You and trust in You as my provider and defender. Help me also to have wisdom and courage to take the action that I should in order to address the challenges that face me. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.