Money / Finances / Wealth, Submitted / Servant

The Greatest Treasure Is a Close Relationship with Yahweh

Yahweh blessed Solomon with great wisdom and also with wealth and fame. He was truly elevated to a powerful and glorious status among even kings and queens. It was all by the providence of Yahweh. However, even for someone who lives in such glory as Solomon, the day ultimately comes when he or she will die. When that happens, the only thing that matters for them is their relationship with Yahweh. All the riches and fame and wisdom no longer have relevance for them.

Matthew 6:19-21

19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

This is not to say that riches are bad. Yahweh gave wealth to Solomon as a reward, not a punishment. Simply put, it serves as a reminder to the importance of focusing on our relationship with Yahweh above earthly riches.

2 Chronicles 9

Visit of the Queen of Sheba

      1Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with difficult questions. She had a very large retinue, with camels carrying spices and a large amount of gold and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was on her heart. 2Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was hidden from Solomon which he did not explain to her. 3When the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, the house which he had built, 4the food at his table, the seating of his servants, the attendance of his ministers and their attire, his cupbearers and their attire, and his stairway by which he went up to the house of the LORD, she was breathless. 5Then she said to the king, “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. 6“Nevertheless I did not believe their reports until I came and my eyes had seen it. And behold, the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me. You surpass the report that I heard. 7“How blessed are your men, how blessed are these your servants who stand before you continually and hear your wisdom. 8“Blessed be the LORD your God who delighted in you, setting you on His throne as king for the LORD your God; because your God loved Israel establishing them forever, therefore He made you king over them, to do justice and righteousness.” 9Then she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold and a very great amount of spices and precious stones; there had never been spice like that which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

      10The servants of Huram and the servants of Solomon who brought gold from Ophir, also brought algum trees and precious stones. 11From the algum trees the king made steps for the house of the LORD and for the king’s palace, and lyres and harps for the singers; and none like that was seen before in the land of Judah.

      12King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire which she requested besides a return for what she had brought to the king. Then she turned and went to her own land with her servants.

Solomon’s Wealth and Power

      13Now the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold, 14besides that which the traders and merchants brought; and all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon. 15King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold, using 600 shekels of beaten gold on each large shield. 16He made 300 shields of beaten gold, using three hundred shekels of gold on each shield, and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.

      17Moreover, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold. 18There were six steps to the throne and a footstool in gold attached to the throne, and arms on each side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the arms. 19Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps on the one side and on the other; nothing like it was made for any other kingdom. 20All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; silver was not considered valuable in the days of Solomon. 21For the king had ships which went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram; once every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold and silver, ivory and apes and peacocks.

      22So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. 23And all the kings of the earth were seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart. 24They brought every man his gift, articles of silver and gold, garments, weapons, spices, horses and mules, so much year by year.

      25Now Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots and 12,000 horsemen, and he stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 26He was the ruler over all the kings from the Euphrates River even to the land of the Philistines, and as far as the border of Egypt. 27The king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees that are in the lowland. 28And they were bringing horses for Solomon from Egypt and from all countries.

      29Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, from first to last, are they not written in the records of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat? 30Solomon reigned forty years in Jerusalem over all Israel.

Death of Solomon

      31And Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David; and his son Rehoboam reigned in his place.

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, Fear / Reverence for God, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Holy, Justice / Judgment, Obeying God, Submitted / Servant, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

God Is a Consuming Fire

Yahweh is often represented as some kind of pushover or marshmallow who is happy with any who even sort of identify with Him even if they are not really submitted to Him. No one says it as directly as this, but we should reflect on how we compromise with the culture and world around us as an indicator. Yah calls us to be a set apart people, holy, for His purposes. We should not put other gods or focus areas in our lives competing with Him or sharing our priority with Him. This could be work, golf, power, money, sports, and literally accepting other gods as another way to salvation, even if we don’t follow them. It could be putting government on God’s place as our father and provider. It could be many things.

What is more direct is those that outright oppose God. This could be in choices like abortion, taking God out of school and government, persecuting those who do follow Yah and many others.

God is a consuming fire, not a marshmallow. He is not insecure and desperately seeking any type of friendship, even half hearted. He expects all of us!

I am sharing the below article from GotQuestions.org.

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What Does it Mean That God Is a Consuming Fire?

God is first identified as a “consuming fire” in Deuteronomy 4:24 and 9:3. The writer to the Hebrews reiterates, warning the Hebrews to worship God with reverence and awe “for our God is a consuming fire.” There is nothing mysterious about the Hebrew and Greek words translated “consuming fire.” They mean exactly that—a fire that utterly consumes or destroys. How, then, can a loving and merciful God also be a consuming fire that utterly destroys?

In both Deuteronomy passages in which God is called a consuming fire, Moses is speaking first to warn the Israelites against idolatry (Deuteronomy 4:23-25) because God is a “jealous God” and will not share His glory with worthless idols. Idolatry provokes Him to a righteous anger which is justified when His holiness is disrespected. In Deuteronomy 9:3, Moses again refers to God as a consuming (or devouring) fire who would go ahead of the Israelites into the Promised Land, destroying and subduing their enemies before them. Here again we see God’s wrath against those who oppose Him depicted as fire that utterly consumes and destroys anything in His path.

There are several incidents in which God’s wrath, judgment, holiness or power are displayed by fire from heaven. Aaron’s sons Abihu and Nadab were destroyed by fire when they offered a profane sacrifice, “strange fire,” in the tabernacle, a sign of their disregard for the utter holiness of God and the need to honor Him in solemn and holy fear. The confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel is another example of consuming fire from God. The prophets of Baal called upon their god all day long to rain fire from heaven to no avail. Then Elijah built an altar of stones, dug a ditch around it, put the sacrifice on the top of wood and called for water to be poured over his sacrifice three times. Elijah called upon God, and God sent fire down from heaven, completely consuming the sacrifice, the wood, and the stones and licked up the water in the ditch. Then His anger turned against the false prophets, and they were all killed. When prophesying the destruction of the Assyrians, who resisted the true and living God and warred against His people, Isaiah refers to the tongue of the Lord as a consuming fire and His “arm coming down with raging anger and consuming fire” (Isaiah 30:27-30).

God’s holiness is the reason for His being a consuming fire, and it burns up anything unholy. The holiness of God is that part of His nature that most separates Him from sinful man. The godless, Isaiah writes, tremble before Him: “Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?” Isaiah answers this by saying that only the righteous can withstand the consuming fire of God’s wrath against sin, because sin is an offense to God’s holiness. But Isaiah also assures us that no amount of our own righteousness is sufficient (Isaiah 64:6).

Fortunately, God has provided the righteousness we need by sending Jesus Christ to die on the cross for the sins of all who would ever believe in Him. In that one act, Christ mitigates God’s wrath, exchanging His perfect righteousness for our sin. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). All the wrath of God was poured out on Jesus, so that those who belong to Him would not have to suffer the same fate as the Assyrians. “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31), but we need not fear the consuming fire of God’s wrath if we are covered by the purifying blood of Christ.

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I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me be fully submitted and devoted to You. Let me not try to be in relationship and submission to You half hearted. I want to be all in. Please forgive me for my sins and failures through the blood of Christ. Thank You for Your Grace and mercy. 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.

 

 

Obeying God, Purposeful / Intentional, Submitted / Servant

Join God in His Plans Rather Than Pursue Your Own

Solomon got off to a strong start as king. He honored the LORD and He obeyed the commandments and ordinances.  The LORD made Him strong as well as wise. We should fool ourselves though that somehow Solomon accomplished what he did on his own. Similarly, if we want to accomplish what the LORD has for us, we must choose to focus on what He wants for us and not what we want for ourselves and we must choose to walk with the LORD in obedience and submission to Him.  It is not about our plans and desires. It is about His.

2 Chronicles 8

Solomon’s Activities and Accomplishments

      1Now it came about at the end of the twenty years in which Solomon had built the house of the LORD and his own house 2that he built the cities which Huram had given to him, and settled the sons of Israel there.

      3Then Solomon went to Hamath-zobah and captured it. 4He built Tadmor in the wilderness and all the storage cities which he had built in Hamath. 5He also built upper Beth-horon and lower Beth-horon, fortified cities with walls, gates and bars; 6and Baalath and all the storage cities that Solomon had, and all the cities for his chariots and cities for his horsemen, and all that it pleased Solomon to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land under his rule.

      7All of the people who were left of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel, 8namely, from their descendants who were left after them in the land whom the sons of Israel had not destroyed, them Solomon raised as forced laborers to this day. 9But Solomon did not make slaves for his work from the sons of Israel; they were men of war, his chief captains and commanders of his chariots and his horsemen. 10These were the chief officers of King Solomon, two hundred and fifty who ruled over the people.

      11Then Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter up from the city of David to the house which he had built for her, for he said, “My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy where the ark of the LORD has entered.”

      12Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of the LORD which he had built before the porch; 13and did so according to the daily rule, offering them up according to the commandment of Moses, for the sabbaths, the new moons and the three annual feasts—the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Booths.

      14Now according to the ordinance of his father David, he appointed the divisions of the priests for their service, and the Levites for their duties of praise and ministering before the priests according to the daily rule, and the gatekeepers by their divisions at every gate; for David the man of God had so commanded. 15And they did not depart from the commandment of the king to the priests and Levites in any manner or concerning the storehouses.

      16Thus all the work of Solomon was carried out from the day of the foundation of the house of the LORD, and until it was finished. So the house of the LORD was completed.

      17Then Solomon went to Ezion-geber and to Eloth on the seashore in the land of Edom. 18And Huram by his servants sent him ships and servants who knew the sea; and they went with Solomon’s servants to Ophir, and took from there four hundred and fifty talents of gold and brought them to King Solomon.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, lead me to know what You want me to do and help me choose that over what I want to do. Let me not bring my plans to You and ask You to bless them. Rather, let me seek Your plans and join what You want to do. Help me to be obedient and submitted to You. May any success You bring to me be reflected back to glorify 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.

His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Learning To Pray Effectively, Seeking God

Let Me Know Your Ways

Our prayers and conversations with YHWH do not have to be complicated. We do not get “bonus points” for large words. We do best when we simply set our hearts to trust in Him and talk with Him as we would a Father whom we love and respect.

For the full context of Exodus 33:13, click the link and read the full chapter. I am focusing on a particular verse for today’s consideration.

Exodus 33:13

13“Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight.

What a wonderful and simple prayer from Moses. Let us not be afraid to ask the Lord for His help so that we may know His ways and know Him. Why? So we can be rich or happy? No. So we might find more favor in His sight. In our relationship with Him then we find peace and joy and hope.

When is the last time your prayer was focused on asking the Lord to help you know His ways and know Him more so as to find favor in His sight? If you consider the full context of the scripture you will also see that Moses was not just talking the whole time. He allowed time for the Lord to speak and for him to listen. A good way to invest our time for which most of us need more practice.

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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.

Seeking God, Study the Word, Teachable

Ministries With Online Presence To Help You On Your Journey

Ministries

Many claim to bring a Christian message, but far too often there are false prophets mixed among the true Christian ministries and even genuine Christian ministries have significant gaps or wrong teaching embedded in their teaching. We are called to study God’s word and use discernment to determine which ones line up with the Bible and reject the rest.

I have attached links to some of the ministries I have found helpful that have a lot of information online that can help us in specific focus areas to help us grow in our walk with the Lord.

I pray you would find these resources as a helpful place to start or continue your studies in seeking the Lord in all His truth. No one person or ministry has it all right, but many have learned enough that they can help you on your journey. If you have limited time or if you want to know where to start, I truly encourage you to spend time Understanding the Hebrew Roots of our Christian faith. It provides insight into what most of the Christian teachers are missing, including ones that are listed on HearingFromJesus.org. As with all teaching (including mine), as you study also seek the Lord in prayer and test everything against the holy scriptures themselves.

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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.

Jesus (hearing from God), Prophecy, Seeking God, Strong in Our Weakness

The Return of the King

Yeshua teaches us to look forward toward His return and to be prepared. We will not know the time, but we will be able to recognize the season more broadly. We must prepare ourselves as believers, for it is “after that tribulation” that the Son of Man will come in power and glory and send forth the angels to gather His elect.  We must be prepared to endure the tribulation and remain faithful to Yeshua. As a side note, I would also say not to believe anyone who says they know the day when Christ will collect is elect, as that would contrast the word of God.

Mark 13:24-37

The Return of Christ

      24“But in those days, after that tribulation, THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, 25AND THE STARS WILL BE FALLING from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken. 26“Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN CLOUDS with great power and glory. 27“And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven.

      28“Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29“Even so, you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that He is near, right at the door. 30“Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 31“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. 32“But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.

      33“Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come. 34“It is like a man away on a journey, who upon leaving his house and putting his slaves in charge, assigning to each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay on the alert. 35“Therefore, be on the alert—for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— 36in case he should come suddenly and find you asleep. 37“What I say to you I say to all, ‘Be on the alert!’”

Do not disregard the warning. Prepare now. Seek Him now. Prepare for the return of the King so that when He comes… you and your family are ready, despite the many challenges and much suffering of the tribulation.

When we prepare for the return of the King, we also find ourselves prepared for properly living our own lives, at the end of which we will all stand in judgment before Jehovah… whether or not Yeshua has yet returned.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for Your word which guides me. Please help Your people prepare for the tribulation and for Your return. Let us live at all times as if You are returning. 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 Knowing, Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, His Timing Not Ours, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Jesus (hearing from God), Justice / Judgment, Persecution / Glorifying God, Prophecy, Prophecy, Study the Word, Teachable, Tribulation, Wickedness / Evil, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

See to It That No One Misleads You

The disciples, like most of us, can easily be drawn to marvel at beautiful creations… especially if they are perceived to have good purpose. It troubled them that Yeshua would indicate the temple being destroyed. Yeshua, on the other hand, was more grieved when He saw lost souls, who had rejected Jehovah rather than buildings.

Yeshua warns His disciples of what is to come. I believe He speaks of what has already come to pass, when the Romans occupied Jerusalem and destroyed the temple to the very foundation in 70 AD. It reconnects with the prophecy in Daniel 9:27. As we continue reading in Mark 13 beyond verse 23 (subject for another post) we see that Yeshua is also foreshadowing His return. Thus Yeshua has combined information about the Romans occupation of Jerusalem in the near future for the disciples and His return in the farther out future, which is still yet to come.

He did this without specifically answering the original question of timing, which was not for the disciples to know. We can also learn from this scripture how we should respond in times of darkness and apply it in our lives today.

Mark 13:1-23

Things to Come

      1As He was going out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down.”

      3As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew were questioning Him privately, 4“Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?” 5And Jesus began to say to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. 6“Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He!’ and will mislead many. 7“When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened; those things must take place; but that is not yet the end. 8“For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines. These things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.

      9“But be on your guard; for they will deliver you to the courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them. 10“The gospel must first be preached to all the nations. 11“When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit. 12“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. 13“You will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.

      14“But when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. 15“The one who is on the housetop must not go down, or go in to get anything out of his house; 16and the one who is in the field must not turn back to get his coat. 17“But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 18“But pray that it may not happen in the winter. 19“For those days will be a time of tribulation such as has not occurred since the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never will. 20“Unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days. 21“And then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ’; or, ‘Behold, He is there’; do not believe him; 22for false Christs and false prophets will arise, and will show signs and wonders, in order to lead astray, if possible, the elect. 23“But take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance.

There is so much information worth studying and praying for wisdom to fully understand, I can’t possibly hope to cover it all in a post. I encourage each of you to prayerfully pursue further study.

Yeshua correctly prophecies about the destruction of the temple, and it seems to tie back to prophecy in Daniel 9:27 as well. God is God. He is aware of what has been, what is, and what will be.

Yeshua warns His disciples to avoid following pretenders, or false prophets, even those who do signs and wonders. We must study the word to recognize and judge good and faithful teachers from false prophets. There are false prophets and we are called to judge who they are! We must reject false doctrine that presumes anyone who says ‘I follow Jesus’ is to be believed or that a teacher who claims to teach the word must not be challenged. Let us judge based on scripture and without hypocrisy.

Do not be surprised that there will be wars and strife. Prepare for it.

Expect to be hated by the world. Expect to be persecuted. It will be hard to be a genuine follower of Christ.

Another common doctrine that many Christians believe is that they will be removed by God before the tribulation. There is no evidence of that in this scripture to be sure. In fact, one might conclude the opposite… that Christians will endure the tribulation. More study is merited on this subject.

20“Unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days.

So after all this dramatic warning to His disciples, what does Yeshua conclude with?

23“But take heed; behold, I have told you everything in advance

We are to seek to understand the content of Yeshua’s message and use it to prepare ourselves and others. We are not to ponder endlessly about “when” it will happen. The disciples asked that question and Yeshua avoided answering it, instead giving the information He wanted them to focus on.

Challenge yourself to find another significant aspect of Yeshua’s message to His disciples that I did not highlight in this post. Re-read the scripture here, or click to go to read the full chapter at BibleHub.com by following the green hyperlinks above. You can even read some of the commentaries to help you get started in your study. Of course, web search is always an option as well. The point is… develop the discipline to study the Bible more… so that you can “take heed” as Yeshua calls us to do.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to heed Your word in the Bible. Help me to remain faithful to You even under harsh persecution and death. Please give me the words to say when pressed so that the Holy Spirit would speak through me to point people to You. Let me take care not to follow people simply because they do signs and wonders, as many false prophets will try to lead the elect astray in this manner. Let me not rely solely on what I feel and experience, but help me test everything with discernment against Your 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.

Grace / Forgiveness, Humility, Justice / Judgment, Learning To Pray Effectively, Repenting from Sin, Seeking God

Humility, Prayer, Seeking God, and Turning from Sin

As we read in 2 Chronicles 7, we see God giving a promise and a warning to Solomon about the relationship between God and His people. We should pay attention. God does not change. This gives us insight into our relationship with our Father still today.

2 Chronicles 7:11-22

God’s Promise and Warning

      11Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD and the king’s palace, a

nd successfully completed all that he had planned on doing in the house of the LORD and in his palace.

      12Then the LORD appeared to Solomon at night and said to him, “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. 13“If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, 14and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 15“Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place. 16“For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that My name may be there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually. 17“As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, even to do according to all that I have commanded you, and will keep My statutes and My ordinances, 18then I will establish your royal throne as I covenanted with your father David, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man to be ruler in Israel.’

      19“But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, 20then I will uproot you from My land which I have given you, and this house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight and I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. 21“As for this house, which was exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and say, ‘Why has the LORD done thus to this land and to this house?’ 22“And they will say, ‘Because they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers who brought them from the land of Egypt, and they adopted other gods and worshiped them and served them; therefore He has brought all this adversity on them.’”

Keep in mind that this is all about God’s people. It is not about “those non believers” who live among us. It is those who follow Yahweh, remembering that Yeshua is the way to the Father.

“My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Yes, those who identify as followers of Yeshua need to turn from their wicked ways, often where they have blended and mixed with culture around them instead of being holy, being set apart. We need to humble ourselves, pray, seek God, and repent. This is a recipe we should embrace today. Our nation is very wicked and continuing to trend away from God and toward more wickedness. We need God’s help.

We should also heed the warning. Our obedience to His statutes and commandments is important to Him. And do not dismiss this as “Old Testament” or “Before Christ”. Yeshua Himself spoke of this and is recorded in multiple scriptures such as  John 14:15 (“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.)

  19“But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, 20then I will uproot you from My land which I have given you, and this house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight and I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. 21“As for this house, which was exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and say, ‘Why has the LORD done thus to this land and to this house?’ 22“And they will say, ‘Because they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers who brought them from the land of Egypt, and they adopted other gods and worshiped them and served them; therefore He has brought all this adversity on them.’”

Ask God to open your eyes for how this applies to our nation and to ourselves today. Do not dismiss it. We are very much in need of repentance among God’s people and our nation is in need of healing.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please open the eyes of Your people to their sin and the sin of their nation. Please lead us to a place of humility and seeking You in prayer. Help us to understand and turn from our wicked ways and pursue You wholeheartedly. Help raise up leaders among Your people to lead them in repentance and prayer and in taking action to recapture godly values in our society. 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, Fear / Reverence for God, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Loving / Kind, Thankfulness, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Celebrating and Rejoicing In Our Father

What a celebration it must have been! Solomon had finished praying over the completion of the temple, fire came from heaven to consume the burnt offerings and sacrifices, the Shekinah glory of God came into the temple where the priests could not even enter, and people worshipped and gave praise the Yahweh. Then as we continue with verse 4 below, we see more sacrifices and an extended feast of celebration.

I would love to see this kind of enthusiasm in our culture today to celebrate our God. I know we are not always celebrating something as grand as the temple, but wow!

2 Chronicles 7:4-10

Sacrifices Offered

      4Then the king and all the people offered sacrifice before the LORD. 5King Solomon offered a sacrifice of 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. Thus the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. 6The priests stood at their posts, and the Levites also, with the instruments of music to the LORD, which King David had made for giving praise to the LORD—“for His lovingkindness is everlasting”—whenever he gave praise by their means, while the priests on the other side blew trumpets; and all Israel was standing.

      7Then Solomon consecrated the middle of the court that was before the house of the LORD, for there he offered the burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings because the bronze altar which Solomon had made was not able to contain the burnt offering, the grain offering and the fat.

The Feast of Dedication

      8So Solomon observed the feast at that time for seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly who came from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of Egypt. 9On the eighth day they held a solemn assembly, for the dedication of the altar they observed seven days and the feast seven days. 10Then on the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people to their tents, rejoicing and happy of heart because of the goodness that the LORD had shown to David and to Solomon and to His people Israel.

I think for each of us we may want to consider how we foster a sense of enthusiasm, praise, worship, thanksgiving, etc. in our own lives and in our communities focused on honoring and glorifying our Father. Ask Him to help. Discuss it with other believers. Consider celebrating the Moedim, or appointed times of our Creator (CELEBRATING GOD’S HOLY DAYS (MOEDIM)) as a starting point.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for all You do and have done for us! You and You alone are God. There is none like You. Your lovingkindness is without equal. Please help me to celebrate You and not take You for granted. 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, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Shekinah Glory – the Presence of God on Earth

I am sure this must have been amazing to behold… our God is so much more than just words on a page in the Bible. He is the Creator of all. Sometimes, He reveals His glory in powerful ways on earth.

2 Chronicles 7:1-3

The Shekinah Glory

      1Now when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the house. 2The priests could not enter into the house of the LORD because the glory of the LORD filled the LORD’S house. 3All the sons of Israel, seeing the fire come down and the glory of the LORD upon the house, bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave praise to the LORD, saying, “Truly He is good, truly His lovingkindness is everlasting.”

The presence was so strong that the priests could not enter the temple at that time. Pause and reflect on that. The people chose to bow down to, worship and praise the LORD.  What a great response! I would hope I would do the same.

God will not always reveal Himself in this way, so do not be discouraged if you have not had one of these rather uncommon experiences with our LORD. But I do find it worth reflecting on the glory of God, something I do not do often enough.

Here is a link to an article discussing the Shekinah Glory:

The Shekinah glory – What is it? (compellingtruth.org).

I am not familiar with the site, but the article linked here is an interesting introduction to Shekinah Glory. I am sure there are a variety of views we could study and perhaps some of you will do so.

“The Shekinah glory is the Hebrew name given to the presence of God dwelling on the earth. The word “shekinah” does not actually appear in the Bible, but in Hebrew it can mean “he caused to dwell” and it was the term given to a divine visitation of Yahweh. A notable example of the Shekinah glory is the pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night that guided the Israelites through the desert after their exodus from Egypt (Exodus 13:20–22).”

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for those times that You reveal Your glory to Your people in dramatic ways and also when You reveal Your glory in more private or personal encounters. Help me to focus more often on Your glory and not just the words of scripture. You are so much more than just words on the page in the Bible. You are a living and dynamic God, Creator of the universe. Help me live my life for Your glory. 

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.

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