Category Archives: Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God

All Powerful / King of All, Arrogance, Blessed, Consequences of Sin, Curse, Discipline / Guidance From God, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Humility, Justice / Judgment, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

As His Children, We Rise and Fall With the LORD

Yahweh’s people often rise and fall with His favor or displeasure. Once again in 2 Chronicles 26 we see the pattern of a blessing for one who obeys, growing strong when he was not, and a curse for one who goes against the LORD’s ways, even when he was strong. The LORD can make or break us. He is ruler over all.

2 Chronicles 26

Uzziah Succeeds Amaziah in Judah

      1And all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the place of his father Amaziah. 2He built Eloth and restored it to Judah after the king slept with his fathers. 3Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Jechiliah of Jerusalem. 4He did right in the sight of the LORD according to all that his father Amaziah had done. 5He continued to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding through the vision of God; and as long as he sought the LORD, God prospered him.

Uzziah Succeeds in War

      6Now he went out and warred against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath and the wall of Jabneh and the wall of Ashdod; and he built cities in the area of Ashdod and among the Philistines. 7God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians who lived in Gur-baal, and the Meunites. 8The Ammonites also gave tribute to Uzziah, and his fame extended to the border of Egypt, for he became very strong. 9Moreover, Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate and at the Valley Gate and at the corner buttress and fortified them. 10He built towers in the wilderness and hewed many cisterns, for he had much livestock, both in the lowland and in the plain. He also had plowmen and vinedressers in the hill country and the fertile fields, for he loved the soil. 11Moreover, Uzziah had an army ready for battle, which entered combat by divisions according to the number of their muster, prepared by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the official, under the direction of Hananiah, one of the king’s officers. 12The total number of the heads of the households, of valiant warriors, was 2,600. 13Under their direction was an elite army of 307,500, who could wage war with great power, to help the king against the enemy. 14Moreover, Uzziah prepared for all the army shields, spears, helmets, body armor, bows and sling stones. 15In Jerusalem he made engines of war invented by skillful men to be on the towers and on the corners for the purpose of shooting arrows and great stones. Hence his fame spread afar, for he was marvelously helped until he was strong.

Pride Is Uzziah’s Undoing

      16But when he became strong, his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to the LORD his God, for he entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. 17Then Azariah the priest entered after him and with him eighty priests of the LORD, valiant men. 18They opposed Uzziah the king and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful and will have no honor from the LORD God.” 19But Uzziah, with a censer in his hand for burning incense, was enraged; and while he was enraged with the priests, the leprosy broke out on his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, beside the altar of incense. 20Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous on his forehead; and they hurried him out of there, and he himself also hastened to get out because the LORD had smitten him. 21King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death; and he lived in a separate house, being a leper, for he was cut off from the house of the LORD. And Jotham his son was over the king’s house judging the people of the land.

      22Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first to last, the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, has written. 23So Uzziah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the grave which belonged to the kings, for they said, “He is a leper.” And Jotham his son became king in his place.

We can certainly point to wicked and worldly men who have much success in an earthly sense in terms of money and power. We see examples in the Bible as well. We may not always understand why Yahweh will allow some to prosper even when they are not walking with Him or why He may seem to punish those who are closer to Him when they sin. We do see a trend, however, where the closer someone is to walking with Him, the higher the LORD’s expectations. One way to think about this is a father who disciplines his own children rather than those who are not his.

Hebrews 12:4-11

A Father’s Discipline

4You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; 5and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,

“MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD,

NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE PUNISHED BY HIM;

6FOR WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES,

AND HE PUNISHES EVERY SON WHOM HE ACCEPTS.” 7It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? 10For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. 11For the moment, all discipline seems not to be pleasant, but painful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

Let us not focus on second guessing the LORD when we encounter situations like 2 Chronicles 26, but rather understand that we need to be vigilant to avoid pride and continue serving and seeking Yahweh with humility according to His ways. I will admit, however, that I am curious as to whether or not Uzziah ever repented and if he would have if his fate would have been different.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help us as your people to continue to seek and serve You. Thank You for the Bible with Your holy instructions and for Your Spirit to lead and guide us. Help us to hold fast to a spirit of humility even when we seem to be strong and doing well. Help us to live lives that are pleasing to 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.

All Powerful / King of All, Arrogance, Blessed, Consequences of Sin, Curse, Discipline / Guidance From God, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Humility, Idols / False Gods, Justice / Judgment, Obeying God, Pride, Provider, Repenting from Sin, Righteous, Submitted / Servant, Teachable, Unteachable / Foolish, Worldliness

Serve the LORD, but with a Whole Heart

It is good when we do right in the sight of the LORD and serve Him. However, let us learn a lesson from Amaziah to do so with our whole heart. It can be too easy to compromise and blend with the world and culture around us and then get defensive and angry at those who would rightly speak the word of the LORD to us calling us to repent.

2 Chronicles 25

Amaziah Succeeds Joash in Judah

      1Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. 2He did right in the sight of the LORD, yet not with a whole heart. 3Now it came about as soon as the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, that he killed his servants who had slain his father the king. 4However, he did not put their children to death, but did as it is written in the law in the book of Moses, which the LORD commanded, saying, “Fathers shall not be put to death for sons, nor sons be put to death for fathers, but each shall be put to death for his own sin.”

Amaziah Defeats Edomites

      5Moreover, Amaziah assembled Judah and appointed them according to their fathers’ households under commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds throughout Judah and Benjamin; and he took a census of those from twenty years old and upward and found them to be 300,000 choice men, able to go to war and handle spear and shield. 6He hired also 100,000 valiant warriors out of Israel for one hundred talents of silver. 7But a man of God came to him saying, “O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the LORD is not with Israel nor with any of the sons of Ephraim. 8“But if you do go, do it, be strong for the battle; yet God will bring you down before the enemy, for God has power to help and to bring down.” 9Amaziah said to the man of God, “But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the troops of Israel?” And the man of God answered, “The LORD has much more to give you than this.” 10Then Amaziah dismissed them, the troops which came to him from Ephraim, to go home; so their anger burned against Judah and they returned home in fierce anger.

      11Now Amaziah strengthened himself and led his people forth, and went to the Valley of Salt and struck down 10,000 of the sons of Seir. 12The sons of Judah also captured 10,000 alive and brought them to the top of the cliff and threw them down from the top of the cliff, so that they were all dashed to pieces. 13But the troops whom Amaziah sent back from going with him to battle, raided the cities of Judah, from Samaria to Beth-horon, and struck down 3,000 of them and plundered much spoil.

Amaziah Rebuked for Idolatry

      14Now after Amaziah came from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought the gods of the sons of Seir, set them up as his gods, bowed down before them and burned incense to them. 15Then the anger of the LORD burned against Amaziah, and He sent him a prophet who said to him, “Why have you sought the gods of the people who have not delivered their own people from your hand?” 16As he was talking with him, the king said to him, “Have we appointed you a royal counselor? Stop! Why should you be struck down?” Then the prophet stopped and said, “I know that God has planned to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.”

Amaziah Defeated by Joash of Israel

      17Then Amaziah king of Judah took counsel and sent to Joash the son of Jehoahaz the son of Jehu, the king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us face each other.” 18Joash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, “The thorn bush which was in Lebanon sent to the cedar which was in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ But there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon and trampled the thorn bush. 19“You said, ‘Behold, you have defeated Edom.’ And your heart has become proud in boasting. Now stay at home; for why should you provoke trouble so that you, even you, would fall and Judah with you?”

      20But Amaziah would not listen, for it was from God, that He might deliver them into the hand of Joash because they had sought the gods of Edom. 21So Joash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth-shemesh, which belonged to Judah. 22Judah was defeated by Israel, and they fled each to his tent. 23Then Joash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, at Beth-shemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem and tore down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, 400 cubits. 24He took all the gold and silver and all the utensils which were found in the house of God with Obed-edom, and the treasures of the king’s house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria.

      25And Amaziah, the son of Joash king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Joash, son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. 26Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, from first to last, behold, are they not written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel? 27From the time that Amaziah turned away from following the LORD they conspired against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish and killed him there. 28Then they brought him on horses and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah.

Yahweh does indeed have the power to help or to bring down, to bless or to curse. He can have much more influence in this matter than all of our best and most creative efforts. We should take great caution not to turn from His ways in order to pursue our success. We are called to serve Him and live according to His ways wholeheartedly, not half heartedly. It is not a matter of being less wicked or more righteous than the average person. It is about are we fully submitted to the LORD with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.

Prayerfully reflect on your own life. What evidence is there in your actions and words and thoughts that you may not be fully submitted? Honestly evaluate the evidence that would indicate you may be compromising or blending with the world and culture around you, even if unintentionally. Engage the help of a trusted friend and godly advisor or mentor. Avoid being defensive and angry. Listen. Don’t make the same mistake Amaziah made by dismissing the wise counsel.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please show me where I am blending with the world around me. Help me to see clearly and to set myself and my family apart for your use. May your Spirit open my eyes to areas in my life where I need to make changes and be more fully devoted and submitted to You. Send wise counsel and help me listen to it. Help me to serve as wise counsel for other believers. 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, Anger (unrighteous anger), Arrogance, Consequences of Sin, Discipline / Guidance From God, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Justice / Judgment, Purposeful / Intentional, Rebuke Wrong Behavior, Repenting from Sin, Submitted / Servant, Wickedness / Evil, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Real Life Game of Thrones

A more exciting work of fiction is hard to imagine than what we read in the scriptures, and that is an historical record! The books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles in particular are filled with plot twists better than any movie I have seen. I am amazed when people say the Bible is boring. It would seem they have not read much of it!

Follow along with the twists and turns in 2 Chronicles 24 and we will reflect on a few key points at the end.

2 Chronicles 24

Young Joash Influenced by Jehoiada

      1Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Zibiah from Beersheba. 2Joash did what was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest. 3Jehoiada took two wives for him, and he became the father of sons and daughters.

Faithless Priests

      4Now it came about after this that Joash decided to restore the house of the LORD. 5He gathered the priests and Levites and said to them, “Go out to the cities of Judah and collect money from all Israel to repair the house of your God annually, and you shall do the matter quickly.” But the Levites did not act quickly. 6So the king summoned Jehoiada the chief priest and said to him, “Why have you not required the Levites to bring in from Judah and from Jerusalem the levy fixed by Moses the servant of the LORD on the congregation of Israel for the tent of the testimony?” 7For the sons of the wicked Athaliah had broken into the house of God and even used the holy things of the house of the LORD for the Baals.

Temple Repaired

      8So the king commanded, and they made a chest and set it outside by the gate of the house of the LORD. 9They made a proclamation in Judah and Jerusalem to bring to the LORD the levy fixed by Moses the servant of God on Israel in the wilderness. 10All the officers and all the people rejoiced and brought in their levies and dropped them into the chest until they had finished. 11It came about whenever the chest was brought in to the king’s officer by the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, then the king’s scribe and the chief priest’s officer would come, empty the chest, take it, and return it to its place. Thus they did daily and collected much money. 12The king and Jehoiada gave it to those who did the work of the service of the house of the LORD; and they hired masons and carpenters to restore the house of the LORD, and also workers in iron and bronze to repair the house of the LORD. 13So the workmen labored, and the repair work progressed in their hands, and they restored the house of God according to its specifications and strengthened it. 14When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada; and it was made into utensils for the house of the LORD, utensils for the service and the burnt offering, and pans and utensils of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the LORD continually all the days of Jehoiada.

      15Now when Jehoiada reached a ripe old age he died; he was one hundred and thirty years old at his death. 16They buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done well in Israel and to God and His house.

      17But after the death of Jehoiada the officials of Judah came and bowed down to the king, and the king listened to them. 18They abandoned the house of the LORD, the God of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols; so wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their guilt. 19Yet He sent prophets to them to bring them back to the LORD; though they testified against them, they would not listen.

Joash Murders Son of Jehoiada

      20Then the Spirit of God came on Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest; and he stood above the people and said to them, “Thus God has said, ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD and do not prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, He has also forsaken you.’” 21So they conspired against him and at the command of the king they stoned him to death in the court of the house of the LORD. 22Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness which his father Jehoiada had shown him, but he murdered his son. And as he died he said, “May the LORD see and avenge!”

Aram Invades and Defeats Judah

      23Now it happened at the turn of the year that the army of the Arameans came up against him; and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, destroyed all the officials of the people from among the people, and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus. 24Indeed the army of the Arameans came with a small number of men; yet the LORD delivered a very great army into their hands, because they had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers. Thus they executed judgment on Joash.

      25When they had departed from him (for they left him very sick), his own servants conspired against him because of the blood of the son of Jehoiada the priest, and murdered him on his bed. So he died, and they buried him in the city of David, but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings. 26Now these are those who conspired against him: Zabad the son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabitess. 27As to his sons and the many oracles against him and the rebuilding of the house of God, behold, they are written in the treatise of the Book of the Kings. Then Amaziah his son became king in his place.

The overriding theme in this chapter would have to be “honor Yahweh and prosper with blessing or dishonor Him and suffer curse”.  There are ups and downs that follow along with the righteousness or wickedness of the behavior of the people we are reading about. In particular, if we focus on Joash, we can witness things going great as he is blessed for walking with the LORD under Jehoiada  and then it gets mess and he suffers defeat and death after turning away from the LORD. Of course, it does not always happen immediately. We see the summary version and how it threads together. However, in life, there may be many years in between some of these events. Someone may not associate the consequence with the personal choices they made to turn from Yahweh, but the ties are there none the less.

Jehoiada was a righteous priest and with his guidance, Joash and the people did well. He lived a long life and impacted many in a positive way. However, once he was gone, Joash listened to bad counselors who drew him away from the LORD.

We can wonder about how deep Joash’s relationship with Yahweh may or may not have been, but it seemed fairly passionate when he was younger, like when he was rebuilding the temple. How often do you hear someone talk about once saved, always saved? Popular teaching states that people can not turn from the LORD, but we see over and over in scripture examples where that happened. Joash is one, Solomon another.

Hebrew 6:4

4For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6and then have [e]fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, [f]since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.

Note that Hebrews 6:4 indicates that some have partaken of the Holy Spirit and then fallen away. This refers to people who have truly submitted to Christ and then turned from Him.

Let us not overlook the righteous and bold action of Zachariah, son of Jehoiada, to confront the king and the people with the Spirit of God upon him. Sadly, he is killed, despite his faithfulness, but the wicked face consequences. Ultimately, the LORD gives victory to an inferior army to bring judgment on the people of Judah. We are left to simply trust the LORD and perhaps not fully understand why someone like Jehoiada in his efforts to be righteous found great success, but his son Zachariah, filled with the Spirit, did not. Both did as asked by the LORD. Both pleased the LORD. In our eyes, we see different results to be sure, but we do not see all things as Yahweh does. Trust Him! Do what He instructs. Follow where He leads.

Take time to prayerfully reflect on this historical account. Which aspects really speak to you? What can you apply in your life?

Have you lost a trusted counselor and find yourself drifting from God? Turn back!

Do you see others around you turning from the LORD, speak up! Be bold! Trust in the LORD.

Do you hear someone rebuking you? Before you seek revenge, listen test if they are speaking of the LORD and you need to make a change. Be humble! Do not strike at them.

Take time to reflect in prayer on this very busy chapter of history and how the key concepts apply in your life.

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, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Learning To Pray Effectively, Miracles, Miracles, Submitted / Servant, Unteachable / Foolish

Proclaim The Gospel Boldly Despite Intimidation

The religious “elite” or “establishment”, those with the most apparent authority and training, arrested Peter and John, who were uneducated and untrained men, and brought them to testify. The religious leaders, having already killed Yeshua, wanted to subdue this movement that claimed Yeshua was Messiah and had risen from the dead. Surely, Peter and John, who had gone into hiding when Yeshua was arrested and killed, would respond to intimidation and just be quiet. The miracles could not be denied, even by those who chose to reject Yeshua as Messiah.

Before being filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost Peter and John indeed lacked the boldness with which they now stood and proclaimed Yeshua as Messiah. However, now they stood before the full intimidation of the religious leaders and refused to give an inch. They would not back away from Yeshua despite threats toward their own well being… and it amazed their accusers. They had nothing to say in reply to Peter and John.

Acts 4:13-31

Threat and Release

      13Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. 14And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply. 15But when they had ordered them to leave the Council, they began to confer with one another, 16saying, “What shall we do with these men? For the fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. 17“But so that it will not spread any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no longer to any man in this name.” 18And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; 20for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” 21When they had threatened them further, they let them go (finding no basis on which to punish them) on account of the people, because they were all glorifying God for what had happened; 22for the man was more than forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed.

      23When they had been released, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, “O Lord, it is You who MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA, AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM,

25who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant, said,
‘WHY DID THE GENTILES RAGE,
AND THE PEOPLES DEVISE FUTILE THINGS?

      26‘THE KINGS OF THE EARTH TOOK THEIR STAND,
AND THE RULERS WERE GATHERED TOGETHER
AGAINST THE LORD AND AGAINST HIS CHRIST.’

27“For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur. 29“And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, 30while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” 31And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.

The religious leaders could not deny God’s power as demonstrated by the healing miracle. The healed man was well known and now stood before them. They never stopped to reconsider what this signified… that they should reconsider their opinion that Yeshua was not Messiah. They continued in their wickedness to try to cover up and subdue the message of Yeshua. These supposed holy men and esteemed religious leaders did not even stop and pray to seek Yahweh’s help in this matter. They had already decided to dismiss the evidence Yah provided and continue like a freight train on the path to denying Jesus. They seem blinded by their own choice… having put their faith in the traditions and power of men. Do not be like these men.

So after they were released, how did Peter and John respond? Did they pray for protection? Did they pray for their enemies to be overthrown? Did they pray for wealth and power to stand up to their enemies? No, no, and no. They prayed for confidence and boldness and God’s continued hand to heal miraculously to His glory in the name of Jesus. Wow. We should be like these men, Peter and John. Having prayed a righteous and powerful prayer, God filled them again with the Holy Spirit and they began to speak the word of God with boldness!

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence. Grant us courage to stand boldly for You despite intimidation we may face. Use us for Your glory and honor! 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.

 

Courage / Fear, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Heaven and Hell, Holy Spirit (hearing from God), Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Miracles, Miracles, Salvation, Share the Good News, Submitted / Servant

Proclaim Jesus Boldly, Filled With The Holy Spirit

Are you a follower of Jesus Christ, but find yourself hesitant to speak to others about Jesus Christ? Do you wish that you could change that and take on a confident position of boldly standing up for Jesus? Do not excuse it as “personality” limitations because you have a hard time talking to others or are uncomfortable dealing with conflict. Jesus commands us to proclaim Him boldly to others if we are to expect Him to represent us before the Father.

 [Matthew 10:32-33] 32“Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. 33“But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.

Do not rationalize why it is acceptable to deny Christ by remaining silent. Instead pray for God’s help that you would submit to the Holy Spirit and be transformed for use by God. Then set about building a consistent pattern of Bible study and prayer in your life every day… and watch what God can do.

Consider the example of Yeshua’s disciples. They were largely not public speakers or politicians. They were not clergy or religious elite. As a matter of fact, even after three years of accompanying Yeshua in His earthly ministry, they were scared when the Romans came to arrest Yeshua. Most ran away, Peter followed but then denied Yeshua when confronted even by servant girls among a crowd. After Yeshua died, they hid in a room. Before we judge them too harshly, most of us would do the same, especially without the Holy Spirit living inside of us.

Acts 4:1-12 provides a strong demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit and the transformation He brings to our lives as believers who submit to Jesus. Peter and John now stand boldly before the powerful religious leaders who just killed Jesus. They do not cower or hide. They do not water down the message. They make no excuses for following Jesus. The speak with power, unapologetic in their following of Jesus Christ… fully aware of possible consequences they may face. It is this same kind of faith and boldness that led to thousands being saved through submission to Jesus as their savior and leader.

Acts 4:1-12

Peter and John Arrested

      1As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, 2being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3And they laid hands on them and put them in jail until the next day, for it was already evening. 4But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

      5On the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem; 6and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent. 7When they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?” 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people, 9if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, 10let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health. 11“He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone. 12“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

Do you invite the Spirit to work through you ? Do you speak boldly the truth of the gospel? or do you keep it to yourself to avoid confrontation? Pray for God to transform you to act like the disciples, boldly proclaiming the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ regardless of possible consequences to yourself.

[Matthew 10:28] 28“Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

It can not be said any more clearly than in Acts 4:12.

12“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

There is only one path to Heaven, one name by which we are saved… the name of Yeshua, who is our Messiah. All other roads lead to dead ends on this earth and to Hell thereafter. Choose your path wisely and stay on it.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, help me and all Your people be bold in following You, even when confronted by those who would try to silence and intimidate us. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit and give us the words to say and the courage to say them. Give us the courage to act! Raise up the righteous that our nation would turn back toward You! Defeat the wicked and their plans. Open their eyes to their wickedness and Your glory and righteousness. 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, Discerning / Judging, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Purposeful / Intentional, Wickedness / Evil, Worldliness

Put Your Faith in Yahweh and His Ways Rather than in Men

It is easy to read 2 Chronicles about Ahaziah and his father Jehoram (king of Judah) who allied themselves with the wicked kings of Israel (Jehoram of Israel and Ahab before him) and think they were foolish for doing so. It seems obvious when reading the text where it is all laid out for us plainly.

We see over a few generations, the king of Judah turn away from Yahweh’s ways and turn toward the ways of wickedness of man. However, when we are living our own lives it may not seem quite so obvious. When summarizing decades of our life in a few paragraphs, it gets condensed and often very clear. However, when living it out, one decision at a time, it may be much more difficult to discern, especially when it is our own lives and the changes are usually gradual, not huge strides.

We can see in 2 Chronicles 22 that moving away from God’s ways and towards the wicked ways of men is really bad. Surely, we know that already, but this is a concise reminder. Keep your guard up for the more gradual slide in your own life that may take place if you start to compromise and align yourself with the wordly and the wicked rather than taking a stand to be different and holy, set apart for God’s purpose.

2 Chronicles 22

Ahaziah Succeeds Jehoram in Judah

      1Then the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, his youngest son, king in his place, for the band of men who came with the Arabs to the camp had slain all the older sons. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign. 2Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Athaliah, the granddaughter of Omri. 3He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor to do wickedly. 4He did evil in the sight of the LORD like the house of Ahab, for they were his counselors after the death of his father, to his destruction.

Ahaziah Allies with Jehoram of Israel

      5He also walked according to their counsel, and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to wage war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead. But the Arameans wounded Joram. 6So he returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which they had inflicted on him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Aram. And Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram king of Judah, went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.

      7Now the destruction of Ahaziah was from God, in that he went to Joram. For when he came, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.

Jehu Murders Princes of Judah

      8It came about when Jehu was executing judgment on the house of Ahab, he found the princes of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s brothers ministering to Ahaziah, and slew them. 9He also sought Ahaziah, and they caught him while he was hiding in Samaria; they brought him to Jehu, put him to death and buried him. For they said, “He is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart.” So there was no one of the house of Ahaziah to retain the power of the kingdom.

      10Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she rose and destroyed all the royal offspring of the house of Judah. 11But Jehoshabeath the king’s daughter took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king’s sons who were being put to death, and placed him and his nurse in the bedroom. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah so that she would not put him to death. 12He was hidden with them in the house of God six years while Athaliah reigned over the land.

When we start moving away from the LORD’s ways, things get ugly. Once we remove a consistent standard of right and wrong, one that is objective and does not change over time, anything becomes permissible. It is not even just about God cursing us instead of blessing us. Consider in our scripture and what you see around you in life, how do people act and treat one another without God’s framework for right and wrong? It can quickly degrade. Some perceive anything as permissible in pursuit of power and glory and riches. How we live our own lives gets messy without the constant “north star” of God’s word leading us.

Most of us will not be king and will not be allying ourselves with other kings. However, whom to we partner with at work? at school? in our church? in our community? How do we handle family relationships with others who are far from God? Do we compromise how we live? or do we stand strong with the LORD in His ways even when others come against us or we feel like we stand alone?

Remember, when we stand with God, we are never alone! He is with us! I would rather stand by myself with God than stand apart from him with the company of men. (Again, this is easier to say than to live out, so do not be arrogant about it, but rather keep your eyes open and use discernment.)

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help lead and guide me. Let the Spirit dwell within me and give me wise council and discernment. Give me courage to stand for you even when if feels like I stand alone. Help me not to compromise what You teach even if it feels like I should do so to accomplish whatever goals I am working towards. Open the eyes of Your people around this nation and the world to see a clear distinction between worldliness or wickedness and godliness. 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, Blessed, Consequences of Sin, Curse, Discipline / Guidance From God, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Justice / Judgment, Obeying God, Submitted / Servant, Wickedness / Evil, Worldliness

Obey My Voice, and I Will Be Your God, and You Will Be My People

For those of us whom Yahweh calls to serve Him, we should be honored for we are truly blessed to know and serve Him. However, we should also take it very seriously. For those whom He calls, He expects us to pursue Him and live for Him. There are consequences when we reject Him and go the way of man! Often these consequences are not just “heaven” or “hell” after we die, but what our experience will be in this lifetime as well. Yahweh can, at His discretion, bless those who obey or curse those who reject Him. It is part of our covenant with Him as His people…

Jeremiah 7:23

 23“But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you.’

There are many examples for us to consider in the biblical record, but one that not everyone probably thinks about much is Jehoram, who was son and grandson to righteous (though not perfect) kings of Judah.

2 Chronicles 21

Jehoram Succeeds Jehoshaphat in Judah

      1Then Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Jehoram his son became king in his place. 2He had brothers, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, Jehiel, Zechariah, Azaryahu, Michael and Shephatiah. All these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel. 3Their father gave them many gifts of silver, gold and precious things, with fortified cities in Judah, but he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the firstborn.

      4Now when Jehoram had taken over the kingdom of his father and made himself secure, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and some of the rulers of Israel also. 5Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 6He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab did (for Ahab’s daughter was his wife), and he did evil in the sight of the LORD. 7Yet the LORD was not willing to destroy the house of David because of the covenant which He had made with David, and since He had promised to give a lamp to him and his sons forever.

Revolt against Judah

      8In his days Edom revolted against the rule of Judah and set up a king over themselves. 9Then Jehoram crossed over with his commanders and all his chariots with him. And he arose by night and struck down the Edomites who were surrounding him and the commanders of the chariots. 10So Edom revolted against Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time against his rule, because he had forsaken the LORD God of his fathers. 11Moreover, he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot and led Judah astray.

      12Then a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet saying, “Thus says the LORD God of your father David, ‘Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father and the ways of Asa king of Judah, 13but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot as the house of Ahab played the harlot, and you have also killed your brothers, your own family, who were better than you, 14behold, the LORD is going to strike your people, your sons, your wives and all your possessions with a great calamity; 15and you will suffer severe sickness, a disease of your bowels, until your bowels come out because of the sickness, day by day.’”

      16Then the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and the Arabs who bordered the Ethiopians; 17and they came against Judah and invaded it, and carried away all the possessions found in the king’s house together with his sons and his wives, so that no son was left to him except Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.

      18So after all this the LORD smote him in his bowels with an incurable sickness. 19Now it came about in the course of time, at the end of two years, that his bowels came out because of his sickness and he died in great pain. And his people made no fire for him like the fire for his fathers. 20He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years; and he departed with no one’s regret, and they buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.

Do not despise the ways of the LORD, but cherish them and take them to heart! Obey His voice and walk in the way He commanded us that all may be well with you. Prayerfully reflect on this truth and ask the Spirit to open your eyes to where in your life you may be choosing the way of man or self over the ways of God. If you are not confident in the ways of Yahweh, then it is your responsibility to study and learn more or find a teacher you can trust and test everything against the holy word in the Bible. Do not simply take the word of a pastor or minister. They will not be standing with you on the day of judgment. Pray for discernment. Seek out the LORD. Walk in His ways.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me and Your people to walk in Your ways! Help us to hear Your voice! Let us not rely on man’s ways or our own ways. We want to be Your people and receive Your blessing. We want to be good and faithful servants to You. Help us to have discernment and wisdom. Open our eyes to any ways we need to change! Give us courage to change as we should. 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.

Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Grace / Forgiveness, Merciful, Repenting from Sin

I Rejected Jesus… But He Offers Another Chance!

Imagine you are in a public place, thriving with people going here and there. It is busy. Suddenly there is a commotion a man is leaping about and praising God. You recognize this man… he is… was lame. You have seen him daily on your walk and you know he can not… could not walk. Yet now you see he is leaping and praising God!

Intrigued, you come closer. The man is clinging to Peter and John, the disciples of Jesus Christ. Jesus was executed not long ago. You were there. In fact you had been drawn in by the energy of the crowd and even called for Barabbas to be set free and Jesus to be crucified. Surely, you thought, this can not be the Messiah.

But now Peter and John have healed this man who could not walk! And they are declaring that Jesus was raised from the dead because He is the Messiah, God in the flesh to dwell among us. A sense of panic sweeps through your very core… you called for His crucifixion. How can that be forgiven? It surely must be too late… but it is not.

Peter and John, knowing all of this are calling for people to repent (turn away from their own wrong ways and turn toward God’s right ways of doing things) and turn to Jesus.

Your panic turns to regret and to joy as you realize that God is willing to forgive you and accept you. Then you feel like joining the man in leaping an praising God. You press in to hear more from Peter and John.

Acts 3:11-36

      11While he was clinging to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them at the so-called portico of Solomon, full of amazement. 12But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, “Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk? 13“The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him. 14“But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15but put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses. 16“And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.

      17“And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also. 18“But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. 19“Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; 20and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, 21whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. 22“Moses said, ‘THE LORD GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN; TO HIM YOU SHALL GIVE HEED to everything He says to you. 23‘And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ 24“And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days. 25“It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘AND IN YOUR SEED ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED.’ 26“For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.”

All of us have denied Jesus in some way during our lives either. Sometimes it is by outright denial or rejection and sometimes it is more subtle… such as remaining quiet as others mock Him. It is hard to reconcile the level of forgiveness God offers through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Even the crowds who had called for Jesus to be Crucified were not turned away by His disciples, but rather offered an invitation to join them in serving Jesus. All they had to do is turn away from their wrong ways of doing things and turn toward God’s way of doing things… often referred to as repenting of sin.

There is no sin so great that we can not repent of it, turn toward God, ask forgiveness and ask Him to be Lord of our lives. If you have denied Him in a big way or in small ways… repent, ask forgiveness and act differently next time… boldly proclaiming the truth of Jesus Christ. All who repent and wholeheartedly call upon the name of Jesus will be forgiven!

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for second chances! Thank You for forgiveness, grace, and mercy! I am a sinner in need of a savior. Thank You for sending Yeshua as Messiah. Please have mercy on me and help me to devote my life to You. 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.

Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Holy Spirit (hearing from God), Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Miracles, Mockers, Obeying God, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Promises, Share the Good News, Thankfulness, Wickedness / Evil

Let Those Who Have Eyes See… But Many Dismiss Even Miracles

Preparing for His departure, Jesus had instructed His disciples to wait for the Helper whom God was going to send to them… the Holy Spirit. His disciples obeyed. They were right to trust and obey Jesus Christ, as we should also in our daily lives. When the day of Pentecost had come… God made the event clear to those who believe so they would have no doubt and be encouraged. It was an incredible and dramatic event. Once again, however, we see that those who refuse to believe… who refuse to see truth… can always come up with an excuse to let them turn aside from God even as He demonstrates the miraculous!

Acts 2:1-13

      1When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

      5Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. 7They were amazed and astonished, saying, “Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8“And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? 9“Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11Cretans and Arabs—we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.” 12And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13But others were mocking and saying, “They are full of sweet wine.”

What an exciting event. I can only imagine being there to experience it. What rejoicing must have been going on among the believers. Such a dramatic event that God Himself brought the crowds. There was no need for advertising or grandstanding. The believers just obeyed Jesus and let God bring the crowds. Then they seized the opportunity, with God’s power, and engaged the people who came for the sake of sharing the good news of the gospel!

All of our best efforts to bring the people to our podium amount to little if the Holy Spirit is not in it. And if God is in it… no one can stop Him. We are to obey God and pray for His Holy Spirit to move us and those to whom He would have us share the gospel.

Romans 8:26-31

      26In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

      28And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

      31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

Scripture consistently shows us that there are many who will just reject God and mock His people. In this case they dismissed the entire miraculous event claiming that the believers must be drunk… which is silly even given that people could clearly understand them speaking in multiple languages. Do not be discouraged when you encounter these mockers. It is not a personal reflection on you as God’s faithful follower, but rather a condition of their heart that they are responsible for changing with the help of the Spirit.

The Lord has instructed us in regards to the wicked and the mockers (also scorners). We do not prosper by listening to their counsel or letting them discourage us but rather by delighting in the law of the Lord and focusing on that day and night!

Psalm 1:1-3 1How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 2But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. 3He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.

Be encouraged. Live for God, applying His word to how you live your life. Let the Holy Spirit lead you. Thank God that He has given you eyes to see and ears to hear.

Proverbs 20:12 12The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the LORD has made both of them.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank you for the Holy Spirit that you sent to be our guide and helper. Help me to recognize the Spirit and not reject Him. Please guide my words and actions when I am confronted by those who would mock you. Please open the eyes of the spiritually blind so that they may see and know 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.

All Knowing, All Powerful / King of All, Anger (unrighteous anger), Arrogance, Bitterness / Resentment, Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Fear / Reverence for God, Obeying God, Seeking God, Submitted / Servant, Through Prophets, Unteachable / Foolish, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Seek the LORD Before Partnering With the Unrighteous

There are some historical records in the Bible that rival any movie plot line today for intrigue, excitement, and plot twists. 2 Chronicles 18 is one of them. For context we must understand that Jehoshaphat is righteous in obeying the LORD and Ahab is not.

There are many angles we could explore in this action packed chapter that are timeless principles to live by. One of them I want to encourage you to focus on is the decision of Jehoshaphat, a righteous king of Judah, to be persuaded to come and fight alongside Ahab, a wicked king of Israel. Was that a wise decision? What did God say about the battle through His prophets? Did Jehoshaphat listen?

2 Chronicles 18

Jehoshaphat Allies with Ahab

      1Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor; and he allied himself by marriage with Ahab. 2Some years later he went down to visit Ahab at Samaria. And Ahab slaughtered many sheep and oxen for him and the people who were with him, and induced him to go up against Ramoth-gilead. 3Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me against Ramoth-gilead?” And he said to him, “I am as you are, and my people as your people, and we will be with you in the battle.”

      4Moreover, Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.” 5Then the king of Israel assembled the prophets, four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall we go against Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for God will give it into the hand of the king.” 6But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not yet a prophet of the LORD here that we may inquire of him?” 7The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me but always evil. He is Micaiah, son of Imla.” But Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so.”

Ahab’s False Prophets Assure Victory

      8Then the king of Israel called an officer and said, “Bring quickly Micaiah, Imla’s son.” 9Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, and they were sitting at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them. 10Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made horns of iron for himself and said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘With these you shall gore the Arameans until they are consumed.’” 11All the prophets were prophesying thus, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and succeed, for the LORD will give it into the hand of the king.”

Micaiah Brings Word from God

      12Then the messenger who went to summon Micaiah spoke to him saying, “Behold, the words of the prophets are uniformly favorable to the king. So please let your word be like one of them and speak favorably.” 13But Micaiah said, “As the LORD lives, what my God says, that I will speak.”

      14When he came to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?” He said, “Go up and succeed, for they will be given into your hand.” 15Then the king said to him, “How many times must I adjure you to speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?”

16So he said,
“I saw all Israel
Scattered on the mountains,
Like sheep which have no shepherd;
And the LORD said,
‘These have no master.
Let each of them return to his house in peace.’”

17Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”

      18Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the LORD. I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right and on His left. 19“The LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab king of Israel to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said this while another said that. 20“Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD and said, ‘I will entice him.’ And the LORD said to him, ‘How?’ 21“He said, ‘I will go and be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ Then He said, ‘You are to entice him and prevail also. Go and do so.’ 22“Now therefore, behold, the LORD has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of these your prophets, for the LORD has proclaimed disaster against you.”

      23Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, “How did the Spirit of the LORD pass from me to speak to you?” 24Micaiah said, “Behold, you will see on that day when you enter an inner room to hide yourself.” 25Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son; 26and say, ‘Thus says the king, “Put this man in prison and feed him sparingly with bread and water until I return safely.”’” 27Micaiah said, “If you indeed return safely, the LORD has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Listen, all you people.”

Ahab’s Defeat and Death

      28So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up against Ramoth-gilead. 29The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you put on your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle. 30Now the king of Aram had commanded the captains of his chariots, saying, “Do not fight with small or great, but with the king of Israel alone.” 31So when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “It is the king of Israel,” and they turned aside to fight against him. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him, and God diverted them from him. 32When the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. 33A certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel in a joint of the armor. So he said to the driver of the chariot, “Turn around and take me out of the fight, for I am severely wounded.” 34The battle raged that day, and the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot in front of the Arameans until the evening; and at sunset he died.

The fact is that Jehoshaphat allied himself with Ahab by marriage. That may seem like a good idea to keep the peace between Israel and Judah, but it influenced Jehoshaphat to consider partnering with Ahab when there was not a good reason for him to do so. We should take great care when partnering with those who are not righteous for some earthly task or mission, especially if it is a mission of their choosing and not directed by God.

I do want to give Jehoshaphat some credit. He rightly saw through the false prophets and asked for a prophet of the LORD as a reliable indicator of what they should do. We, too, should ask the LORD to guide us in our major decisions in life and seek His answer. What baffles me though, is that once the prophet of the LORD spoke and indicated defeat, Jehoshaphat still went to battle with Ahab. That was a mistake. It almost cost him his life. The LORD  protected Jehoshaphat because he was righteous before the LORD and cried out for help. That is the LORD’s mercy in action, baling him out of a bad decision.

I suppose one last perspective I will highlight is a reflection on Ahab. He called the prophet Micaiah, a prophet of the LORD. He missed the point that he speaks what the LORD tells him and got angry at the messenger blaming him for prophesying “bad news”. If he would have humbled himself a bit, perhaps he would have remembered the point of the prophet is not to decide victory or defeat, but to tell you what the LORD says. The fact that tried to use deception and disguise to hedge himself against the prophecy and his death is once again telling. He is missing the point that you can’t hide from the LORD. If the LORD says you will die if you attack, you can’t hide in costume and avoid it.

If I were to sum up to a very high level, I would say we  all need to take caution, seek the LORD, and listen to Him before partnering with the unrighteous to accomplish something we think will work in our own eyes. Instead, remain partnered with God Himself and listen to His guidance.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me (and all Your people) to have wisdom in regards to with whom we partner and collaborate. Help lead and guide us. Thank You for Your protection, grace and mercy when we stumble and make mistakes. Thank You for Your blessing as we walk with You. Help us rely on You and You alone rather than the unrighteous men steeped in the ways of the world. Amen.

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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