2 Kings 10:28-31 (ESV Strong's)
28 Thus Jehu wiped out Baal from Israel. 29 But Jehu did not turn aside from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin—that is, the golden calves that were in Bethel and in Dan. 30 And the LORD said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in carrying out what is right in my eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab according to all that was in my heart, your sons of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.” 31 But Jehu was not careful to walk in the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn from the sins of Jeroboam, which he made Israel to sin.
All In?
Jehu, one of the many kings of Israel, did much better than most of their kings. That statement about most of the Kings of Israel simply states, “they did evil.” Jehu is an exception. As we can read in the above passage, he did not fully follow God. He was about 3/4 in vs all in. But, God did reward him for his destruction of all the Baal worshipers. God does reward our progress and our purifying ourselves and the land around us. Jehu did cleanse the nation of the Baal worshippers, but he was still hanging onto some of the “sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat.” This is much like our lives are. We dispose of the one sin (the big one that everyone notices) but we keep the little one. That is the one, however, that eventually brings us down. When we follow Jesus we have to agree to be “all in.” Partial obedience will be rewarded by God, but it still denies the full blessing of God in our lives.
Tuesday, July 7, 2020
Monday, July 6, 2020
Quarantine! - Leviticus 13-15
Leviticus 13:4-5 (ESV Strong's)
4 But if the spot is white in the skin of his body and appears no deeper than the skin, and the hair in it has not turned white, the priest shall shut up the diseased person for seven days. 5 And the priest shall examine him on the seventh day, and if in his eyes the disease is checked and the disease has not spread in the skin, then the priest shall shut him up for another seven days.
Quarantine!
As I write this devotional (July, 2020) most of the USA is coming off quarantine due to the COVID 19 pandemic. Because of a virus most of the country was sent to their rooms and to allowed to come out. We now know what this passage in Leviticus was speaking out in regard to being locked up for seven days. In Leviticus it was not COVID 19. The disease facing the nation of Israel the leprous disease. God wanted to preserve the national of Israel. He had to create a method that would prevent infectious diseases from destroying the nation. Israel was God’s chosen nation. He had to protect them. Isolation was God’s method. Perhaps the lesson in this is to remember that one way to prevent evil from impacting you is to separate you from that evil. Holiness is like that. To become holy you have to have righteousness imparted and evil to be avoided. Leprousy was a picture of sin for the nation of Israel. They were to separate from sin because it would destroy the nation. Leprous disease could destroy the physical life of the nation. Sin can and did destroy the spiritual life of the nation. Separation is hard ... but necessary!
4 But if the spot is white in the skin of his body and appears no deeper than the skin, and the hair in it has not turned white, the priest shall shut up the diseased person for seven days. 5 And the priest shall examine him on the seventh day, and if in his eyes the disease is checked and the disease has not spread in the skin, then the priest shall shut him up for another seven days.
Quarantine!
As I write this devotional (July, 2020) most of the USA is coming off quarantine due to the COVID 19 pandemic. Because of a virus most of the country was sent to their rooms and to allowed to come out. We now know what this passage in Leviticus was speaking out in regard to being locked up for seven days. In Leviticus it was not COVID 19. The disease facing the nation of Israel the leprous disease. God wanted to preserve the national of Israel. He had to create a method that would prevent infectious diseases from destroying the nation. Israel was God’s chosen nation. He had to protect them. Isolation was God’s method. Perhaps the lesson in this is to remember that one way to prevent evil from impacting you is to separate you from that evil. Holiness is like that. To become holy you have to have righteousness imparted and evil to be avoided. Leprousy was a picture of sin for the nation of Israel. They were to separate from sin because it would destroy the nation. Leprous disease could destroy the physical life of the nation. Sin can and did destroy the spiritual life of the nation. Separation is hard ... but necessary!
Sunday, July 5, 2020
Be Reasonable! Philippians 3-4
Philippians 4:5 (ESV Strong's)
5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;
Be Reasonable!
Right in the middle of a section on prayer, peace and Biblical thinking, Paul gives us quite an admonishment. He tells us to be “reasonable.” In the Greek, Vine says this about this word:
(Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary) epieikes (ἐπιεικής, 1933), an adjective (from epi, used intensively, and eikos, “reasonable”), is used as a noun with the article in Phil. 4:5, and translated “forbearance” in the RV; KJV, “moderation,” RV, marg., “gentleness,” “sweet reasonableness” (Matthew Arnold). See gentle.
Paul told the young preacher Timothy the following:
2 Timothy 2:24-25 (ESV Strong's)
24 And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,
We are in “gentleness” correct those who oppose us. We can only do “gentle” correcting if we maintain a spirit of “reasonable” thinking. And, notice why we are to be “reasonable.” It is because, “the Lord is at hand.” That gives us the sense that our “reasonableness” is not to be used to impressed the world around us, but rather to demonstrate the presence of God within us, via the Son. We should note how many times in the Gospel stories that, when confronted by evil men, Jesus remained “reasonable.” He had a sense of “forbearance” toward them. In today’s society we don’t have a lot of “reasonableness” or “forbearance.” Yet, in the midst of talking about prayer and peace, Paul tells the Church at Philippi to be a people of “reasonableness.” This might fit Solomon’s words to us:
Proverbs 15:1 (ESV Strong's)
1 A soft answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.
5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;
Be Reasonable!
Right in the middle of a section on prayer, peace and Biblical thinking, Paul gives us quite an admonishment. He tells us to be “reasonable.” In the Greek, Vine says this about this word:
(Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary) epieikes (ἐπιεικής, 1933), an adjective (from epi, used intensively, and eikos, “reasonable”), is used as a noun with the article in Phil. 4:5, and translated “forbearance” in the RV; KJV, “moderation,” RV, marg., “gentleness,” “sweet reasonableness” (Matthew Arnold). See gentle.
Paul told the young preacher Timothy the following:
2 Timothy 2:24-25 (ESV Strong's)
24 And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,
We are in “gentleness” correct those who oppose us. We can only do “gentle” correcting if we maintain a spirit of “reasonable” thinking. And, notice why we are to be “reasonable.” It is because, “the Lord is at hand.” That gives us the sense that our “reasonableness” is not to be used to impressed the world around us, but rather to demonstrate the presence of God within us, via the Son. We should note how many times in the Gospel stories that, when confronted by evil men, Jesus remained “reasonable.” He had a sense of “forbearance” toward them. In today’s society we don’t have a lot of “reasonableness” or “forbearance.” Yet, in the midst of talking about prayer and peace, Paul tells the Church at Philippi to be a people of “reasonableness.” This might fit Solomon’s words to us:
Proverbs 15:1 (ESV Strong's)
1 A soft answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Saturday, July 4, 2020
Sacrifice Rewarded - Luke 17-18
Luke 18:28-30 (ESV Strong's)
28 And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.” 29 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”
Sacrifice Rewarded
In the above text, Jesus has been engaging in a conversation about eternal life with a rich man. The rich man was boasting that, from his youth, he has kept the Ten Commandments. But, Jesus tells him to sell all he has. He, being rich, goes away disappointed because that would call upon him to actually put his faith in Christ and not in riches. Jesus than makes the famous statement:
Luke 18:24-27 (ESV Strong's)
24 Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” 27 But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
This is the context of the above verses about leaving everything to follow Christ. Jesus wants His disciples to know that Christ is to be the center of their existence. His teaching requires that He becomes the center of our existence. This sacrifice, per Jesus’ own words, is highly reward both NOW and IN THE FUTURE. Those who put family and home in front of Christ, get family and home ONLY! Those who put Christ at the center are assured of Christ’s care and relationship during the present and for the future. That MAY mean that those close to you reject you. That DOES mean that Christ will accept you.
28 And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.” 29 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”
Sacrifice Rewarded
In the above text, Jesus has been engaging in a conversation about eternal life with a rich man. The rich man was boasting that, from his youth, he has kept the Ten Commandments. But, Jesus tells him to sell all he has. He, being rich, goes away disappointed because that would call upon him to actually put his faith in Christ and not in riches. Jesus than makes the famous statement:
Luke 18:24-27 (ESV Strong's)
24 Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” 27 But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
This is the context of the above verses about leaving everything to follow Christ. Jesus wants His disciples to know that Christ is to be the center of their existence. His teaching requires that He becomes the center of our existence. This sacrifice, per Jesus’ own words, is highly reward both NOW and IN THE FUTURE. Those who put family and home in front of Christ, get family and home ONLY! Those who put Christ at the center are assured of Christ’s care and relationship during the present and for the future. That MAY mean that those close to you reject you. That DOES mean that Christ will accept you.
Friday, July 3, 2020
Shut Your Mouth - Open Your Mouth - Ezekiel 19-24
Ezekiel 24:24-27 (ESV Strong's)
24 Thus shall Ezekiel be to you a sign; according to all that he has done you shall do. When this comes, then you will know that I am the Lord GOD.’
25 “As for you, son of man, surely on the day when I take from them their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes and their soul's desire, and also their sons and daughters, 26 on that day a fugitive will come to you to report to you the news. 27 On that day your mouth will be opened to the fugitive, and you shall speak and be no longer mute. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the LORD.”
Shut Your Mouth - Open Your Mouth
Before we understand the above verses and draw a practical lesson from them, we ought to read this passage from Solomon’s preaching:
Ecclesiastes 3:4 (ESV Strong's)
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
This passage from Ecclesiastes highlights what is going on in the above message from and to and through Ezekiel. In chapter 24 the prophet is told that his wife is going to die, suddenly. He is told to mourn briefly and in silence. He is to then be an example to the nation of Israel. As God brings Israel into captivity, He is going to destroy their stronghold, their joy, their glory, the delight of their eyes, their soul’s desire and their sons and daughters. Ezekiel is NOT to mourn for them. However, when Jerusalem falls a “fugitive” will escape and report to Ezekiel what is happened and then, and only then, will Ezekiel’s mouth open. Note what happens in just a few chapters:
Ezekiel 33:22-23 (ESV Strong's)
22 Now the hand of the LORD had been upon me the evening before the fugitive came; and he had opened my mouth by the time the man came to me in the morning, so my mouth was opened, and I was no longer mute.
23 The word of the LORD came to me:
This prophecy was fulfilled a short time later. Ezekiel opens his mouth and begins to speak about the future restoration of the remnant. Why is God doing all this? The last part of Ezekiel 24:27 tells us:
“... and they will know that I am the Lord.” That phrase is used countless times in this section and throughout the book. God is doing a work in their lives so that they know “that I am the Lord.” That is why God works in all our lives. He wants us to know Him, deeply. When captivity, hardship, struggle or pain or sorrow come, we can know the purpose is for us to see the majesty of God. There is a time to open our mouths in praise and a time to close our mouths to mourn. God does not want us rejoicing over sin. He wants us to rejoice that we know Him as a result of the work He does in our midst.
24 Thus shall Ezekiel be to you a sign; according to all that he has done you shall do. When this comes, then you will know that I am the Lord GOD.’
25 “As for you, son of man, surely on the day when I take from them their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes and their soul's desire, and also their sons and daughters, 26 on that day a fugitive will come to you to report to you the news. 27 On that day your mouth will be opened to the fugitive, and you shall speak and be no longer mute. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the LORD.”
Shut Your Mouth - Open Your Mouth
Before we understand the above verses and draw a practical lesson from them, we ought to read this passage from Solomon’s preaching:
Ecclesiastes 3:4 (ESV Strong's)
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
This passage from Ecclesiastes highlights what is going on in the above message from and to and through Ezekiel. In chapter 24 the prophet is told that his wife is going to die, suddenly. He is told to mourn briefly and in silence. He is to then be an example to the nation of Israel. As God brings Israel into captivity, He is going to destroy their stronghold, their joy, their glory, the delight of their eyes, their soul’s desire and their sons and daughters. Ezekiel is NOT to mourn for them. However, when Jerusalem falls a “fugitive” will escape and report to Ezekiel what is happened and then, and only then, will Ezekiel’s mouth open. Note what happens in just a few chapters:
Ezekiel 33:22-23 (ESV Strong's)
22 Now the hand of the LORD had been upon me the evening before the fugitive came; and he had opened my mouth by the time the man came to me in the morning, so my mouth was opened, and I was no longer mute.
23 The word of the LORD came to me:
This prophecy was fulfilled a short time later. Ezekiel opens his mouth and begins to speak about the future restoration of the remnant. Why is God doing all this? The last part of Ezekiel 24:27 tells us:
“... and they will know that I am the Lord.” That phrase is used countless times in this section and throughout the book. God is doing a work in their lives so that they know “that I am the Lord.” That is why God works in all our lives. He wants us to know Him, deeply. When captivity, hardship, struggle or pain or sorrow come, we can know the purpose is for us to see the majesty of God. There is a time to open our mouths in praise and a time to close our mouths to mourn. God does not want us rejoicing over sin. He wants us to rejoice that we know Him as a result of the work He does in our midst.
Thursday, July 2, 2020
Find Wisdom - Proverbs 8-9
Proverbs 8:35-36 (ESV Strong's)
35 For whoever finds me finds life
and obtains favor from the LORD,
36 but he who fails to find me injures himself;
all who hate me love death.”
Find Wisdom
If you have ever been urgently looking for something and finally found it, you get a glimpse into the insight Solomon is trying to provide us in these two proverbs. Yet, finding your keys when you are late for work doesn’t even come close to this message. Finding your wallet after it was lost for a week does not. Finding you child who wandered off into a dangerous place, might get close. Yet, Solomon in the above passages is talking about finding something even more precious than a child: Wisdom. In chapter eight of Proverbs we are reading Wisdom’s word to us. She is speaking to us. She is telling us all the benefits of having her in your worldview of life. Failing to find wisdom is the same as finding death. When we fail to search for and find wisdom we do self-inflicted harm to ourselves. Thankfully, wisdom is available by simply fearing the Lord. That is the message of chapter nine:
Proverbs 9:10 (ESV Strong's)
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
Wisdom makes herself available so she is an easy find. Note where she is:
Proverbs 8:1-3 (ESV Strong's)
1 Does not wisdom call?
Does not understanding raise her voice?
2 On the heights beside the way,
at the crossroads she takes her stand;
3 beside the gates in front of the town,
at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud:
She is loud and standing on every corner. We have but to Fear the Lord (stand in awe of Him and revere Him) and we will find wisdom. Find
35 For whoever finds me finds life
and obtains favor from the LORD,
36 but he who fails to find me injures himself;
all who hate me love death.”
Find Wisdom
If you have ever been urgently looking for something and finally found it, you get a glimpse into the insight Solomon is trying to provide us in these two proverbs. Yet, finding your keys when you are late for work doesn’t even come close to this message. Finding your wallet after it was lost for a week does not. Finding you child who wandered off into a dangerous place, might get close. Yet, Solomon in the above passages is talking about finding something even more precious than a child: Wisdom. In chapter eight of Proverbs we are reading Wisdom’s word to us. She is speaking to us. She is telling us all the benefits of having her in your worldview of life. Failing to find wisdom is the same as finding death. When we fail to search for and find wisdom we do self-inflicted harm to ourselves. Thankfully, wisdom is available by simply fearing the Lord. That is the message of chapter nine:
Proverbs 9:10 (ESV Strong's)
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
Wisdom makes herself available so she is an easy find. Note where she is:
Proverbs 8:1-3 (ESV Strong's)
1 Does not wisdom call?
Does not understanding raise her voice?
2 On the heights beside the way,
at the crossroads she takes her stand;
3 beside the gates in front of the town,
at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud:
She is loud and standing on every corner. We have but to Fear the Lord (stand in awe of Him and revere Him) and we will find wisdom. Find
Wednesday, July 1, 2020
Believer’s Sin(s) Limits God’s Glory - Psalms 78-80
Psalms 78:60-61 (ESV Strong's)
60 He forsook his dwelling at Shiloh,
the tent where he dwelt among mankind,
61 and delivered his power to captivity,
his glory to the hand of the foe.
Believer’s Sin(s) Limits God’s Glory
To understand the above two verses we have to understand the context of Psalms 78. This song, written by the song writer, Aspah, is a historical poem, outlining the failures of Israel and their deliverance by God. The song tells how God gave them miraculous provision and, yet, how they turned to other gods as their source of strength. God’s glory was in their midst (via the Tabernacle) and they still sought out the false gods of their neighbors. That tends to be a trend for believers. In the above two verses we see an amazing response from God, to their sin. God actually removes the two “visible” elements of His nature from the center of Israel’s daily life. He removes His presence when their sin becomes prevalent. The more they sin, the less room God has to roam among them. That is a truth all believers should come to grips with in their own lives. The more we sin, the less room God has to move in our midst. Sin separates us from God’s power and God’s blessing. God actually allowed their ememies to capture and take for their own: The Ark of the Covenant (1 Samuel 4:11). That was not only a symbol of God’s presence, God’s glory actually rested in the Ark. His glory was dwelling in the tent, the Tabernacle. God ACTUALLY allowed it to be taken captive by those who rejected God. What a message for believers today. When we reject God’s word and fail to obey it, we lose the power of God in our midst.
60 He forsook his dwelling at Shiloh,
the tent where he dwelt among mankind,
61 and delivered his power to captivity,
his glory to the hand of the foe.
Believer’s Sin(s) Limits God’s Glory
To understand the above two verses we have to understand the context of Psalms 78. This song, written by the song writer, Aspah, is a historical poem, outlining the failures of Israel and their deliverance by God. The song tells how God gave them miraculous provision and, yet, how they turned to other gods as their source of strength. God’s glory was in their midst (via the Tabernacle) and they still sought out the false gods of their neighbors. That tends to be a trend for believers. In the above two verses we see an amazing response from God, to their sin. God actually removes the two “visible” elements of His nature from the center of Israel’s daily life. He removes His presence when their sin becomes prevalent. The more they sin, the less room God has to roam among them. That is a truth all believers should come to grips with in their own lives. The more we sin, the less room God has to move in our midst. Sin separates us from God’s power and God’s blessing. God actually allowed their ememies to capture and take for their own: The Ark of the Covenant (1 Samuel 4:11). That was not only a symbol of God’s presence, God’s glory actually rested in the Ark. His glory was dwelling in the tent, the Tabernacle. God ACTUALLY allowed it to be taken captive by those who rejected God. What a message for believers today. When we reject God’s word and fail to obey it, we lose the power of God in our midst.
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