Category Archives: Repenting from Sin

Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Guidance From God, Dreams, Faith / Trusting God, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Holy Spirit (hearing from God), Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Justice / Judgment, Merciful, Prophecy, Prophecy, Repenting from Sin, Salvation, Through Prophets, Visions, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

The Day Of Judgment Will Come For Each Of Us

The coming day of judgment will be difficult for those that rebel against and do not submit to YHWH now. Of course, some will face judgment when they die, before He returns and their fate is equally grave should they not have submitted to the LORD. Judgment comes for all of us. Each of us should ask ourselves, “Am I prepared? Am I preparing my children? my household?”

The LORD is ever merciful, though and the answer is quite simple. Turn to him. Repent. Consider Joel 2:12-13 below. Remember, the only way to the father is through the son, Yeshua.  (John 14:6)

Joel 2

     1Blow a trumpet in Zion,
And sound an alarm on My holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
For the day of the LORD is coming;
Surely it is near,

      2A day of darkness and gloom,
A day of clouds and thick darkness.
As the dawn is spread over the mountains,
So there is a great and mighty people;
There has never been anything like it,
Nor will there be again after it
To the years of many generations.

      3A fire consumes before them
And behind them a flame burns.
The land is like the garden of Eden before them
But a desolate wilderness behind them,
And nothing at all escapes them.

      4Their appearance is like the appearance of horses;
And like war horses, so they run.

      5With a noise as of chariots
They leap on the tops of the mountains,
Like the crackling of a flame of fire consuming the stubble,
Like a mighty people arranged for battle.

      6Before them the people are in anguish;
All faces turn pale.

      7They run like mighty men,
They climb the wall like soldiers;
And they each march in line,
Nor do they deviate from their paths.

      8They do not crowd each other,
They march everyone in his path;
When they burst through the defenses,
They do not break ranks.

      9They rush on the city,
They run on the wall;
They climb into the houses,
They enter through the windows like a thief.

      10Before them the earth quakes,
The heavens tremble,
The sun and the moon grow dark
And the stars lose their brightness.

      11The LORD utters His voice before His army;
Surely His camp is very great,
For strong is he who carries out His word.
The day of the LORD is indeed great and very awesome,
And who can endure it?

      12“Yet even now,” declares the LORD,
“Return to Me with all your heart,
And with fasting, weeping and mourning;

      13And rend your heart and not your garments.”
Now return to the LORD your God,
For He is gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness
And relenting of evil.

      14Who knows whether He will not turn and relent
And leave a blessing behind Him,
Even a grain offering and a drink offering
For the LORD your God?

      15Blow a trumpet in Zion,
Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly,

      16Gather the people, sanctify the congregation,
Assemble the elders,
Gather the children and the nursing infants.
Let the bridegroom come out of his room
And the bride out of her bridal chamber.

      17Let the priests, the LORD’S ministers,
Weep between the porch and the altar,
And let them say, “Spare Your people, O LORD,
And do not make Your inheritance a reproach,
A byword among the nations.
Why should they among the peoples say,
‘Where is their God?’”

Deliverance Promised

18Then the LORD will be zealous for His land
And will have pity on His people.

      19The LORD will answer and say to His people,
“Behold, I am going to send you grain, new wine and oil,
And you will be satisfied in full with them;
And I will never again make you a reproach among the nations.

      20“But I will remove the northern army far from you,
And I will drive it into a parched and desolate land,
And its vanguard into the eastern sea,
And its rear guard into the western sea.
And its stench will arise and its foul smell will come up,
For it has done great things.”

      21Do not fear, O land, rejoice and be glad,
For the LORD has done great things.

      22Do not fear, beasts of the field,
For the pastures of the wilderness have turned green,
For the tree has borne its fruit,
The fig tree and the vine have yielded in full.

      23So rejoice, O sons of Zion,
And be glad in the LORD your God;
For He has given you the early rain for your vindication.
And He has poured down for you the rain,
The early and latter rain as before.

      24The threshing floors will be full of grain,
And the vats will overflow with the new wine and oil.

      25“Then I will make up to you for the years
That the swarming locust has eaten,
The creeping locust, the stripping locust and the gnawing locust,
My great army which I sent among you.

      26“You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied
And praise the name of the LORD your God,
Who has dealt wondrously with you;
Then My people will never be put to shame.

      27“Thus you will know that I am in the midst of Israel,
And that I am the LORD your God,
And there is no other;
And My people will never be put to shame.

The Promise of the Spirit

28“It will come about after this
That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind;
And your sons and daughters will prophesy,
Your old men will dream dreams,
Your young men will see visions.

      29“Even on the male and female servants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

The Day of the LORD

30“I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth,
Blood, fire and columns of smoke.

      31“The sun will be turned into darkness
And the moon into blood
Before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.

      32“And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the LORD
Will be delivered;
For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
There will be those who escape,
As the LORD has said,
Even among the survivors whom the LORD calls.

There is so much more in Joel 2 than just the message of repentance and the LORD’s mercy and forgiveness or His judgment and justice. There is the promise of the Holy Spirit coming to mankind and then also the coming of the LORD in judgment that follows. This is truly a prophetic scripture that is worth reflecting on and rereading multiple times.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please open my eyes to all that Your scriptures entail and help me understand how it should lead and guide my life. Thank You for the Spirit. Thank You for mercy and grace. Thank You for Yeshua who died so I would have a path to redemption and reconciliation with You. 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.

Born Again (spiritually), Purposeful / Intentional, Repenting from Sin, Seeking God

Repent and Believe

Repent and believe. There is a truly basic and simple message, but for each of us our eternity rests on how we respond.

Mark 1:14-15

Jesus Preaches in Galilee

      14Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, 15and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

How will you respond?

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to repent and believe. I want to truly and passionately believe and let that drive a complete repentance and transformation within me. Help me to seek You with all my heart, soul, mind and strength.

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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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.

 

Baptism, Repenting from Sin

Baptism of Repentance

We often think about baptism today as a public symbol of our dedication to Yeshua as our LORD and Savior. While this is correct, it is not complete. When he was preparing the way for Yeshua, John taught the baptism of repentance. Let us never lose site of this aspect. We are to repent of our wicked ways, the wrong ways we do things, our ways… and turn to Yahweh’s ways. Baptism in water is symbolic. Baptism of repentance is powerful and pleasing to the LORD.

Mark 1:1-8

Preaching of John the Baptist

      1The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

      2As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
“BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU,
WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY;

      3THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS,
‘MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD,
MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT.’”

4John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. 6John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist, and his diet was locusts and wild honey. 7And he was preaching, and saying, “After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals. 8“I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Yeshua also preached the  importance of repentance.

Matthew 4:17

   17From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Luke 24:44-47

   44Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, 47and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me not to be content with symbolic water baptism alone. Help me be passionate to leave behind my way of doing things and to learn and do Your ways. Lead me in transformational repentance that changes my life forever. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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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.

Compassionate, Courage / Fear, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Guide, Repenting from Sin, Submitted / Servant

You Will Deny Me Three Times

Peter was one of Yeshua’s closest disciples. He was a bold man and not timid. Consider Matthew 14:22-33 as one example, where Peter stepped out of the boat and walked on water. However, he failed Yeshua by denying Him three times. To be fair the situation was stressful and surprising. Peter had the courage to follow Yeshua as He was arrested. But when confronted, Peter denied Yeshua.

Was that the end of Peter’s ministry and service to the LORD? Absolutely not! The LORD forgave him and still used Him dramatically.

Matthew 26:31-35

      31Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, ‘I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP OF THE FLOCK SHALL BE SCATTERED.’ 32“But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” 33But Peter said to Him, “Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away.” 34Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” 35Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.” All the disciples said the same thing too.

Matthew 26:69-75

Peter’s Denials

      69Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a servant-girl came to him and said, “You too were with Jesus the Galilean.” 70But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.” 71When he had gone out to the gateway, another servant-girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72And again he denied it with an oath, “I do not know the man.” 73A little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Surely you too are one of them; for even the way you talk gives you away.” 74Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowed. 75And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, “Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

We can be encouraged by remembering Peter when we fall short and disappoint ourselves and God. We serve a forgiving and gracious God. If we repent and submit to His lordship, He can still use us and work through us! Do not give up on serving Him just because you make mistakes. Seek His help to increase your faith and boldness and ask the Spirit to lead and guide you more fully. Devote time to strengthening relationship with Him.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please forgive me when I fail You, in big or small ways. Help me acknowledge it and repent and rededicate myself to Your service. Let Your Holy Spirit dwell in me and lead and guide me more fully. Help me to be a faithful and bold servant and bring honor and glory to Your name. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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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.

Anger (unrighteous anger), Arrogance, Bitterness / Resentment, Discerning / Judging, Envy / Jealousy / Coveting, False Prophets / Teachers, Lying / Deceiving, Pride, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Repenting from Sin, Revenge, Selfishness, Submitted / Servant, Teachable, Unteachable / Foolish

Do We Seek Truth or Do We Seek Personal Validation?

The chief priests and the Council were not objectively seeking the truth about Yeshua. They had already decided they wanted to put Him to death. We can observe also a complete lack of respect in how they treat Him. Even if they believed Him to be a heretic, and worthy of death, why beat and mock Him?

Matthew 26:57-68

Jesus before Caiaphas

      57Those who had seized Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together. 58But Peter was following Him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and entered in, and sat down with the officers to see the outcome.

      59Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death. 60They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward, 61and said, “This man stated, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.’” 62The high priest stood up and said to Him, “Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?” 63But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, “I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.” 64Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN.”

      65Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy; 66what do you think?” They answered, “He deserves death!”

      67Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him, 68and said, “Prophesy to us, You Christ; who is the one who hit You?”

To varying degrees, people still act this way towards Yeshua today. They dismiss Him. They don’t really seek truth or understanding of His teaching. Instead, they simply look to discredit or destroy His name and His followers. As we see in the scriptures, those that oppose Him are sometimes within the established religious order that claims to serve Yahweh! So, too, many pastors or religious leaders actually stand against Yeshua and His teaching, while claiming His name.

We are to test everything and not dismiss it out of hand just because we have been taught different in the past or because our pastor says something else is true.  The chief priests and Council would have done well to genuinely test Yeshua and His teaching against the scriptures before making up their minds against Him. We can learn from their mistake.

1 Thessalonians 5:19-22

19Do not quench the Spirit; 20do not despise prophetic utterances. 21But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; 22abstain from every form of evil.

There are several other scriptures you can seek that encourage the same concept of testing. What Does the Bible Say About Test Everything?

From the perspective of Torah, Deuteronomy 13 addresses false prophets. The focus is on those who would seek to lead Yah’s people away from Him and His commandments. Yeshua did not do that. He consistently pointed back to the Torah and the writings of the prophets as the source of authority. He pointed people towards Yahweh.

The basic problem is that the leaders of the time made up their mind ahead of time that He could not be Messiah and never tried to really listen to what else He was teaching. They seemed to overlook all the miracles and healing and casting out of demons that accompanied His ministry. Let their inability or unwillingness to see serve as warning for us. Seek Him diligently and if He may be showing up in a way we do not expect or using someone we do not anticipate, test it vs. scripture rather than our opinion or that commonly accepted by others.

I suppose another warning for us from observing those who came against Yeshua could be summarized as follows: The LORD may send someone to rebuke us for the error of our ways. Try not to get defensive and reject the message because it is difficult to hear. Instead, let us listen carefully and consider and test it against scripture, even if that reveals to us our own sin.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please open my eyes to Your message when it is delivered, even if it brings sharp rebuke to me. Help me receive the message and test it and my life against the truth of Your scripture. Help me not be quick to make up my mind based on what I think I already know or what is commonly accepted or taught. The true test is comparing carefully and prayerfully to Your written word. Amen. 

 Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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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, Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Guidance From God, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Repenting from Sin, Wickedness / Evil, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Pray for God’s People to Repent and Return to Him

It is worth continuing to reflect on the dire situation in which Judah found itself in 2 Kings 25. For context, consider reading 2 Kings 24 as well. The LORD sent enemies against Judah to destroy it because of wickedness and rebellion against Him. He was slow to anger, but His wrath burned against His people. As a result, Judah and Jerusalem were besieged and conquered repeatedly for years. The people were taken into exile. Wicked men continued to rule and not only continued in rebellion against God but also took up rebellion against the earthly kings that the LORD had put over them.

We should heed this as a warning to pray fervently for our nation today, for our people to turn back to the LORD in repentance and humility.

2 Kings 25

Nebuchadnezzar Besieges Jerusalem

      1Now in the ninth year of his reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, camped against it and built a siege wall all around it. 2So the city was under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. 3On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. 4Then the city was broken into, and all the men of war fled by night by way of the gate between the two walls beside the king’s garden, though the Chaldeans were all around the city. And they went by way of the Arabah. 5But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho and all his army was scattered from him. 6Then they captured the king and brought him to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and he passed sentence on him. 7They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, then put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him with bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon.

Jerusalem Burned and Plundered

      8Now on the seventh day of the fifth month, which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. 9He burned the house of the LORD, the king’s house, and all the houses of Jerusalem; even every great house he burned with fire. 10So all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem. 11Then the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon and the rest of the people, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away into exile. 12But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen.

      13Now the bronze pillars which were in the house of the LORD, and the stands and the bronze sea which were in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans broke in pieces and carried the bronze to Babylon. 14They took away the pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the spoons, and all the bronze vessels which were used in temple service. 15The captain of the guard also took away the firepans and the basins, what was fine gold and what was fine silver. 16The two pillars, the one sea, and the stands which Solomon had made for the house of the LORD—the bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight. 17The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and a bronze capital was on it; the height of the capital was three cubits, with a network and pomegranates on the capital all around, all of bronze. And the second pillar was like these with network.

      18Then the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest and Zephaniah the second priest, with the three officers of the temple. 19From the city he took one official who was overseer of the men of war, and five of the king’s advisers who were found in the city; and the scribe of the captain of the army who mustered the people of the land; and sixty men of the people of the land who were found in the city. 20Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. 21Then the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was led away into exile from its land.

Gedaliah Made Governor

      22Now as for the people who were left in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, he appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan over them. 23When all the captains of the forces, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah governor, they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, namely, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men. 24Gedaliah swore to them and their men and said to them, “Do not be afraid of the servants of the Chaldeans; live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will be well with you.”

      25But it came about in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal family, came with ten men and struck Gedaliah down so that he died along with the Jews and the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah. 26Then all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the forces arose and went to Egypt; for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.

      27Now it came about in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he became king, released Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison; 28and he spoke kindly to him and set his throne above the throne of the kings who were with him in Babylon. 29Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes and had his meals in the king’s presence regularly all the days of his life; 30and for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, a portion for each day, all the days of his life.

Pause and reflect. Imagine this is describing what happens to your nation in the near future. Let that sink in.  We have nations and people around the world actively rebelling against or outright ignoring God. This is not a good situation, especially for those who call upon His name and claim to be His people. Dedicate yourself to prayer personally, for family, for communities, for your nation and the world.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, raise up righteous leaders. Cast down the wicked and defeat their plans. Open the eyes of Your people to the truth of what is good and evil in Your eyes. Lead us in repentance and humility. Let the nations repent and turn to You that Your name would be lifted up around the world. Let there be revival and restoration of Your word and Your people. Let not the wicked have victory over us and defame Your name. Help us to remember that though You are love, You are also just. You are forgiving, but You are holy and there is a penalty to be paid for sin and rebellion. Help us to have a respect and awe for You that would help focus our attention on pleasing You instead of only ourselves.  Help us not to fall prey to Satan’s lie that You are pleased with us no matter how we live.  Amen.

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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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, Blessed, Consequences of Sin, Curse, Discipline / Correction, Discipline / Guidance From God, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Fear / Reverence for God, Justice / Judgment, Repenting from Sin, Unteachable / Foolish, Wickedness / Evil, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

When the LORD Is Against You, You Will Not Prosper

Israel and Judah provide clear examples for us in regards to how our relationship with Yahweh and our obedience to His instructions impact His blessing or punishment upon our nation or us as individuals. 2 Kings 24 records some difficult times the people of Judah faced because they turned away from Yahweh and did much evil in His sight.

In some ways we may face similar situations as individuals or a nation. If we personally reject and rebel against God, we will have consequences. It is just a matter of when and how. Similarly, if we walk in His ways and embrace Him, we will have rewards and blessing. There is not always a promise that the reward or blessing will come in the way we expect, but we can certainly enjoy a good relationship with our Creator and put our faith and hope in His promise for salvation when we die and for our eternity with Him.

2 Kings 24

Babylon Controls Jehoiakim

      1In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years; then he turned and rebelled against him. 2The LORD sent against him bands of Chaldeans, bands of Arameans, bands of Moabites, and bands of Ammonites. So He sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD which He had spoken through His servants the prophets. 3Surely at the command of the LORD it came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, 4and also for the innocent blood which he shed, for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; and the LORD would not forgive. 5Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

Jehoiachin Reigns

      6So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers, and Jehoiachin his son became king in his place. 7The king of Egypt did not come out of his land again, for the king of Babylon had taken all that belonged to the king of Egypt from the brook of Egypt to the river Euphrates.

     8Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. 9He did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done.

Deportation to Babylon

      10At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon went up to Jerusalem, and the city came under siege. 11And Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon came to the city, while his servants were besieging it. 12Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he and his mother and his servants and his captains and his officials. So the king of Babylon took him captive in the eighth year of his reign. 13He carried out from there all the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king’s house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, just as the LORD had said. 14Then he led away into exile all Jerusalem and all the captains and all the mighty men of valor, ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths. None remained except the poorest people of the land.

      15So he led Jehoiachin away into exile to Babylon; also the king’s mother and the king’s wives and his officials and the leading men of the land, he led away into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 16All the men of valor, seven thousand, and the craftsmen and the smiths, one thousand, all strong and fit for war, and these the king of Babylon brought into exile to Babylon.

Zedekiah Made King

      17Then the king of Babylon made his uncle Mattaniah king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah.

      18Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 19He did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. 20For through the anger of the LORD this came about in Jerusalem and Judah until He cast them out from His presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

In all this chapter, we do not see the king or the people turning toward Yahweh with repentance and humility. This would be the best course of action. Instead, we see them trying to deal with the problems on their own and failing.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me focus on You and Your instructions. Give me a passion for building relationship with You. Make me hungry to worship You, read Your word, change my life to obey Your instructions. Lead me to see others as You see them and to have compassion on them. When I find myself in sin or apart from You, please lead me in repentance and seeking forgiveness. Please have mercy on me, a sinner, who is far from flawless. Thank You for Your gift of Yeshua, our Messiah. Thank You for grace and mercy and forgiveness. Please put Your hand of blessing upon me and my family and my nation. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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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.

Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Guidance From God, Fear / Reverence for God, Grace / Forgiveness, Justice / Judgment, Obeying God, Repenting from Sin, Submitted / Servant, Wickedness / Evil, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

The LORD Did Not Turn From His Wrath

To fully appreciate the impact of 2 Kings 23:26-27, we must consider the context. I would encourage you to click the link below and read the beginning of 2 Kings 23. Basically, Josiah was a model of excellence in repentance and really changing things after he came to know the law and how his people were so far from it due to the preceding kings. He tore down the bad and relaunched the good.

2 Kings 23:26-27

      26However, the LORD did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath with which His anger burned against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him. 27The LORD said, “I will remove Judah also from My sight, as I have removed Israel. And I will cast off Jerusalem, this city which I have chosen, and the temple of which I said, ‘My name shall be there.’”

It is even more interesting to note that Josiah performed these reformations even knowing that it would not remove Yahweh’s wrath. As an individual, Josiah did receive some good news of blessing from the LORD, but the nation would still suffer.

2 Kings 22:14-20

Huldah Predicts

     14So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter); and they spoke to her. 15She said to them, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘Tell the man who sent you to me, 16thus says the LORD, “Behold, I bring evil on this place and on its inhabitants, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read. 17“Because they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods that they might provoke Me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore My wrath burns against this place, and it shall not be quenched.”’ 18“But to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the LORD thus shall you say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD God of Israel, “Regarding the words which you have heard, 19because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you,” declares the LORD. 20“Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes will not see all the evil which I will bring on this place.”’” So they brought back word to the king.

It is good that Josiah led the nation to do what was right and turn from what was wrong. He based it correctly on Yahweh’s law rather than the opinion of people or the traditions of his family before him. He was right to do so even though it would not save the people in this case. He was honoring and obeying Yahweh as best he could.

Perhaps the message for us is that there are consequences for us as individuals and also for our nation based on our rejection of Yahweh and rebellion against His ways. We can not simply rebel for generations and assume there may not be any lasting consequences. He may even forgive us, but consequences sometimes remain and they can be difficult.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to know what is pleasing to You and what is not. Help me to turn away from what is bad in Your eyes and turn toward what is good in Your eyes. Please help me embrace You and honor You even if our nation is suffering the consequences of sin and rebellion. Let me not condition my obedience on Your removing consequences associated with sin, but seek only to obey and please You regardless. Raise up righteous leaders for our nation such as Josiah and Hezekiah before Your anger burns against us for the wickedness brought about through bad leaders and a nation that is far from You and Your ways.  Amen. 

Shalom.

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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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.

Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Fear / Reverence for God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Idols / False Gods, Obeying God, Purposeful / Intentional, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Repenting from Sin, Traditions / Holidays, Wickedness / Evil

True Repentance Is Not Subtle, It Is Transformational

True repentance is not subtle, it is transformational. At times it may seem blunt and brutal, especially if there is much wickedness to be removed from our culture or our personal lives. We must destroy some things, we must separate ourselves from some relationships, we must turn away from traditions and habits that we and our parents before us have embraced. True repentance is not an effort in tolerance. The primary goal is not to manage people’s feelings, though that is nice if you can. It is a removal of all that is unholy and displeasing to the LORD. It is a return to the LORD’s ways. It is a return to righteousness.

2 Kings 23:1-25

Josiah’s Covenant

      1Then the king sent, and they gathered to him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem. 2The king went up to the house of the LORD and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests and the prophets and all the people, both small and great; and he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the LORD. 3The king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to carry out the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people entered into the covenant.

Reforms under Josiah

      4Then the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest and the priests of the second order and the doorkeepers, to bring out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven; and he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel. 5He did away with the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had appointed to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah and in the surrounding area of Jerusalem, also those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and to the moon and to the constellations and to all the host of heaven. 6He brought out the Asherah from the house of the LORD outside Jerusalem to the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and ground it to dust, and threw its dust on the graves of the common people. 7He also broke down the houses of the male cult prostitutes which were in the house of the LORD, where the women were weaving hangings for the Asherah. 8Then he brought all the priests from the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba; and he broke down the high places of the gates which were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on one’s left at the city gate. 9Nevertheless the priests of the high places did not go up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, but they ate unleavened bread among their brothers. 10He also defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire for Molech. 11He did away with the horses which the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entrance of the house of the LORD, by the chamber of Nathan-melech the official, which was in the precincts; and he burned the chariots of the sun with fire. 12The altars which were on the roof, the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the LORD, the king broke down; and he smashed them there and threw their dust into the brook Kidron. 13The high places which were before Jerusalem, which were on the right of the mount of destruction which Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the sons of Ammon, the king defiled. 14He broke in pieces the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherim and filled their places with human bones.

      15Furthermore, the altar that was at Bethel and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin, had made, even that altar and the high place he broke down. Then he demolished its stones, ground them to dust, and burned the Asherah. 16Now when Josiah turned, he saw the graves that were there on the mountain, and he sent and took the bones from the graves and burned them on the altar and defiled it according to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these things. 17Then he said, “What is this monument that I see?” And the men of the city told him, “It is the grave of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things which you have done against the altar of Bethel.” 18He said, “Let him alone; let no one disturb his bones.” So they left his bones undisturbed with the bones of the prophet who came from Samaria. 19Josiah also removed all the houses of the high places which were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made provoking the LORD; and he did to them just as he had done in Bethel. 20All the priests of the high places who were there he slaughtered on the altars and burned human bones on them; then he returned to Jerusalem.

Passover Reinstituted

      21Then the king commanded all the people saying, “Celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God as it is written in this book of the covenant.” 22Surely such a Passover had not been celebrated from the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel and of the kings of Judah. 23But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was observed to the LORD in Jerusalem.

      24Moreover, Josiah removed the mediums and the spiritists and the teraphim and the idols and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might confirm the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD. 25Before him there was no king like him who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him.

I invite you to pray:

Father, please help me to put You and Your ways above all else in my life. Help me to know my sins and turn from them. Give me wisdom and courage to turn from the things that are bad. Help me totally separate from them and not mix and mingle. Help me turn to Your ways joyfully, even when others do not agree. Do not let emotional ties with traditions or people hold me back from fully embracing Your ways and purging everything that is offensive or even potentially offensive to You from my life. In these efforts, I do ask for Your help to provide unity with other believers and within my family while making these changes. Amen.  

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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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.

Compassionate, Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Guidance From God, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Fear / Reverence for God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Justice / Judgment, Learning To Pray Effectively, Loving / Kind, Obeying God, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Repenting from Sin, Seeking God, Study the Word, Submitted / Servant, Teachable, Through Prophets, Unteachable / Foolish, Wickedness / Evil, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Repent and Turn Your Ways to the LORD

Yahweh is timeless. As such, He views world events from a different perspective than we do. In 2 Kings 22, we see how a loving Father at the same time holds out punishment for His people for their sin and rebellion, and yet may delay it because of the tender heart of the king. What seems difficult to get my mind around at first, from my limited perspective, is why let those who were rebelling escape punishment for decades and then punish the people in the next generation?

2 Kings 22:14-20

Huldah Predicts

      14So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter); and they spoke to her. 15She said to them, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘Tell the man who sent you to me, 16thus says the LORD, “Behold, I bring evil on this place and on its inhabitants, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read. 17“Because they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods that they might provoke Me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore My wrath burns against this place, and it shall not be quenched.”’ 18“But to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the LORD thus shall you say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD God of Israel, “Regarding the words which you have heard, 19because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you,” declares the LORD. 20“Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes will not see all the evil which I will bring on this place.”’” So they brought back word to the king.

To the extent we focus on the fact that Father views things differently than we do, let us not take to the folly of dwelling on why we think He is wrong. Rather, with humility and appreciation for the greatness of our Father, let us consider how we should adapt our way of thinking to line up with His.

Besides, it is not hard to glean from this scripture that we should all seek to genuinely walk in the Father’s ways and remain set apart and holy, not mixing and mingling with other pagan beliefs. Stick to the ways of God and not of man. Repent and admit with sorrow when we as a nation are lost and far from the LORD.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to focus on Your ways. Let me walk in Your ways. Let me hunger to know Your ways. Let me not be content for the ways of man because they are commonly accepted or have been in place for generations within family and culture. Help us see and know Your word clearly as individuals and as a people. Please have mercy on us and hold back Your wrath. Restore righteousness to our nation through the people and through the leaders. Defeat and displace the wicked who deny You with their actions, regardless of what they claim with their lips. Amen.

Shalom.

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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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.