One Step Away From God is One Step Closer to Evil Behavior - 2 Kings 16-20

2 Kings 17:1-5 (ESV)

Hoshea Reigns in Israel

In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah began to reign in Samaria over Israel, and he reigned nine years. And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, yet not as the kings of Israel who were before him. Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria. And Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute. But the king of Assyria found treachery in Hoshea, for he had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and offered no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore the king of Assyria shut him up and bound him in prison. Then the king of Assyria invaded all the land and came to Samaria, and for three years he besieged it.

The book of 2 Kings is a set of historical accounts of the kings of Israel (the 10 tribes in the north) and the kings of Judah (the 2 tribes in the south).   As you read the book, like the above, you read how evil and bad the kings of Israel were in their leadership.  The kings of Judah are not much better, but every once in a while you do see a king from Judah, doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord.   

In the above passage we read about one of the last kings of Israel, Hoshea.   He, as we can read, was very evil. One of his most evil acts was to offer his own son as a sacrifice to the gods of foreign lands.   In those days ungodly leaders, to show their great devotion to their god (idols), would offer their children to invoke favor from those idols for blessing in battle and/or harvest.   Hoshea’s evil heart was fully exposed in this act.  This was not the only king who did this type of evilness, however.  Note God’s condemnation of Israel after it finally fell into the hands of the Assyrians:

2 Kings 17:16-17 (ESV)

And they abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made for themselves metal images of two calves; and they made an Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal. And they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings and used divination and omens and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger.

The evilness that can control mankind after they’re abandoned from God is horrific.   Note how Jeremiah framed this practice as he told Israel what God had to say about it. 

Jeremiah 19:5 (ESV)

and have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, which I did not command or decree, nor did it come into my mind—

When we walk away from God our mind and heart will do corrupt and evil things.   Each step away from God gets you one step closer to these types of choices and behaviors.   

Treat Others Like God Treats Them - Leviticus 19-21

Leviticus 19:11-14 (ESV)

“You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another. You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.

“You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired worker shall not remain with you all night until the morning. You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the LORD.

Whenever I wake up in the morning and know the my time in God’s word is centered in Leviticus, I think the same thing:  In the book of Leviticus God is showing us His character, His mindset and His holiness.  We may not be able to relate to all the laws the book mentions, but we can relate the God behind the laws.   We are learning how God thinks as we read Leviticus. We are learning who He is.  We are learning about His holiness; His desire for us to be holy and separate from those around us in how we conduct ourselves.    The above portion of Leviticus could not demonstrate these thoughts more.   In the above words we see God’s character, mindset and His desire for us to be holy like Him.   

How we treat others is the pathway to God’s character.   This entire book demonstrates this, but the above even more specifically.   God wants us to treat others with the highest respect and love.  The same love He has for mankind we are to have for mankind.  We are to set our own interest aside and approach those around us with God’s character.    What is the reason God gives for us to live this way toward others? He states at the end of this set of verses and repeats it throughout these three chapters and the entire book:  I am the LORD.   In the entire book of Leviticus God states, “I am the LORD” 52 times; mostly in chapters 17-27.  We are to treat others like God would treat them because He is the LORD.   Our behavior toward others demonstrates our likeness to God.  

Sin Is To Be Destroyed - Colossians 3-4

Colossians 3:5-7 (ESV)

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.

The concept of put to death in theological terms is called the mortification of sin.  In psychology terms, mortification of something is be subjugated to shame, humiliation and the destruction of all pride.  But in theological terms is the death of sin.   Paul is addressing the past of those he is writing to in the city of Colossae.   He is reminding them of who they were before their lives were hidden with Christ (3:3).   But there is an imperative in Paul’s words.  Although they have been set free from the penalty of the things he lists in the above verse, they are not set free of the presence of these things.  Therefore, by the power of the Holy Spirit they are to put to death that which Christ already crucified for them.  We are, hidden with Christ, to kill these things in our lives.  This is the act of sanctification.  We were living in these things.   But now we are NOT.   We have, hidden with Christ, been set free from their penalty and their power.   It is their presence that haunts us.  As Paul stated in Romans 7, they are always with us.  But Christ has empowered us, if by faith we mortify them.   They are not to be played with.  They are not to be pampered.  They are not to be simply paused in our life.  They are to be mortified; put to death.   Don’t toy with the sins that lurk in your life.  They are to be utterly destroyed.   

Don’t Deny Him - Luke 21-22

Luke 22:54-62 (ESV)

Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house, and Peter was following at a distance. And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, “This man also was with him.” But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

The denial of Peter is one of the most famous stories of the Gospel accounts of Jesus life.   It was predicted at the Passover meal and fulfilled at Jesus’ first trial.   Peter, after boasting he could never leave Jesus, denies he even knows Jesus. Not once; not twice; but three times.  And perhaps the worse part of this entire story (only recorded by look) was the face Jesus made to Peter at that moment.  Note the last two verses of the above passage, again:

Luke 22:61-62 (ESV)

And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

Imagine the face of Jesus.  If you have ever had a parent look at you in disappointment you might be able to relate to what Peter saw that day.  But this is not our parents.   This is the Son of God, the Savior of the world.   It is important to remember that we, too, deny Jesus in our lives.  When we don’t speak up for Him in a crowd that does not prefer Him, we deny Him.  When asked about success in life and we point to our resume’ of life, we deny Him.  When we are lost and need answers and we turn to mankind’s solutions, we deny Him.  It is not hard to condemn Peter for what he did.  It is much easier than we think, however, to act just like what Peter did.  

Discipline is Intended for Redemption - Ezekiel 31-36

Ezekiel 36:37-38 (ESV)

“Thus says the Lord GOD: This also I will let the house of Israel ask me to do for them: to increase their people like a flock. Like the flock for sacrifices, like the flock at Jerusalem during her appointed feasts, so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of people. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”

This section (Ezekiel 31-36) is all about God bringing desolation on the cities and countries that went either against His word of His people.   Israel and Judah are among these hordes that rebelled against God.   There is much judgement in this section due to the rebellious nature of actors.    But in the end, we come to the above moment.  In the above we read about God’s great restoration.   The entire point of the discipline is to being us to redemption.  The entire point of the discipline is for them to know who God is.   They are lost and running away from God.  God, however, intervenes and brings them back to Him.  For what purpose?  That they may know God.  Note how God’s own Son would say this prior to His crucifixion:

John 17:3 (ESV)

And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

Eternal life is to know God and His son, Jesus Christ.   That is the point of Ezekiel’s writings.  God is using the prophet to prepare the hearts of the people for their need of a Messiah.  This discipline and destruction of rebellion is to bring them to the point of redemption.   

Wisdom Provides Satisfaction - Proverbs 11-12

Proverbs 12:14 (ESV)

From the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good,

and the work of a man’s hand comes back to him.

Making sure our words match our work is the content of this verse. Both lines are written in conjunction with the other. You can’t have good come from your lips and not have good works from your hands. You can’t wish someone a Merry Christmas with your lips and not give them what they need with your hands. That is hypocrisy. Solomon is telling us that we will be rewarded if we have consistency between our lips and our lives. Doing what we are saying is a theme in the book of James (see James 1:22-27). Those who “walk their talk” will have great reward from God. He does not mention what the reward will be. However, there are plenty of verses in Proverbs that tell us what the penalty is for not matching the two. We must make our walk match our talk.  Folly does not do that.  She talks a good game, but in the end she is death.   That is what Solomon has been trying too tell us throughout the book.   Each, single, proverb is to drive home the point that Lady Wisdom can be trusted (her works match her words) but Adulterous Folly can’t be trusted (her works do not follow her words ... they go in opposite directions).    

However, another way to read this proverb is that when speak (the fruit of his mount) and it is intended to be something good that we say, we can be satisfied, as those words won’t come back to hurt us.   The second line, then is to warn us and remind us, that our words come back at us.   So, we should be careful what we say about life, about others, about our views, about our actions.  Because, our words can bite us in the end.   If we have a pure heart and speak from a pure heart, we will be satisfied, because those words will come back and satisfy us.   Either way we interpret this proverb our heart must match our words and our words our heat.  If we are doing that, we will be satisfied.   

God’s Glory is Seen in His Salvation - Psalms 84-86

Psalms 85:8-9 (ESV)

Let me hear what God the LORD will speak,

for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints;

but let them not turn back to folly.

Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him,

that glory may dwell in our land.

As much as the above verses give us much truth and we are limited in space to develop their meaning, we really can’t understand them until we read the proceeding verses.   The four verses before the above are a pleading for salvation, spoken before the above.   Note:

Psalms 85:4-7 (ESV)

Restore us again, O God of our salvation,

and put away your indignation toward us!

Will you be angry with us forever?

Will you prolong your anger to all generations?

Will you not revive us again,

that your people may rejoice in you?

Show us your steadfast love, O LORD,

and grant us your salvation.

The writer of this song/prayer is asking God for His salvation.  He then sits on the watch tower listening for God’s response.   The response from God does come and He  says:

1. I will give you peace.   The aspect of peace is presented because they were in the path of God’s wrath (vss 1-3).   God wants to save us and wants to give us His peace and restore peace between us and Himself (Romans 5:1)

2. I will require you to turn back from folly.   God’s peace and God’s salvation does not come without our repentance from our sin.  

3. I will provide salvation to those who fear me.   Salvation is only available to those who, by faith, put their complete faith in Him.  They become on awe of Him.

4. Along with peace I will provide glory for the land.  God’s glory (Hebrew word for glory, Kabad, is the weight of God.  His glory carries all of who He is and that is weighty.   The nation is promised this “glory” to be in the land.  This is God’s relationship with Himself because He sought to restore His glory to us.   

When the writer of the psalm was desperate and needed salvation God responded with His glory.   He always will.