4/29/2011 9:16:44 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus:
The
foolishness of compromise
Bible Reading
& Meditation Reference:
2Ki.
8:16-29; 2Chron. 21
Message of the verses: In this section the scene shifts back to the
kingdom of Judah and in this section the word compromise is happening. I did not realize just how evil Jezebel was
as I read through the OT in years before when I read about her. She is mentioned also in the NT book of
Revelation’s when the Lord is speaking to one of the seven churches. “20
’But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who
calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray
so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.” This was written to the church at
Thyatira.
This
compromise began when Jehoshaphat had allowed his son Jehoram marry one of Ahab
and Jezebel’s daughters. It was Jezebel
who introduced Baal worship into the northern kingdom, and now because her
daughter was married to the now king of the southern kingdom Baal worship would
be introduced there. Her daughter was
just as evil as she was and this was passed on to her husband for when he
became king he killed all of his brothers so that they could not go against his
plans, and part of that plan was the worship of Baal. Again Jezebel wickedness comes through.
A reign of terror (verses 2Kings 8:16-22):
“16 ¶ Now in the fifth year of Joram the
son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then the king of Judah, Jehoram
the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah became king. 17 He was thirty-two years old when he became
king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 18 He walked in the way of the kings of Israel,
just as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab became his wife;
and he did evil in the sight of the LORD. 19
However, the LORD was not willing to destroy Judah, for the sake of
David His servant, since He had promised him to give a lamp to him through his
sons always. 20 In his days Edom
revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves. 21 Then Joram crossed over to Zair, and all his
chariots with him. And he arose by night and struck the Edomites who had surrounded
him and the captains of the chariots; but his army fled to their tents. 22 So Edom revolted against Judah to this day.
Then Libnah revolted at the same time. 23
The rest of the acts of Joram and all that he did, are they not written
in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 24 So Joram slept with his fathers and was
buried with his fathers in the city of David; and Ahaziah his son became king
in his place.
“ 25 ¶ In the twelfth year of
Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah
began to reign. 26 Ahaziah 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 king of Israel.
27 He walked in the way of the house of
Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD, like the house of Ahab had done,
because he was a son-in-law of the house of Ahab. 28 Then he went with Joram the son of Ahab to
war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead, and the Arameans wounded Joram.
29 So King Joram returned to be healed
in Jezreel of the wounds which the Arameans had inflicted on him at Ramah when
he fought against Hazael king of Aram. Then Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of
Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel because he was sick.”
This
section tells about both the king of Israel and also the king of Judah and it
explains what the Lord did to these two kingdoms because of the sin that
prevailed in both of them. The section
in 2Chronicles tells in more detail about the king of Judah and how the Lord
had caused him to become sick and die because of his evilness. It also tells that he was not even given they
type of burial that all of the other kings were given from Judah. I will now move onto the section in 2Chronicles
as Dr. Wiersbe has also written commentary on part of the section in
2Chronicles 21 about the letter that Elisha sent to the king of Judah.
I
wish to point out an important item here and that is that the Lord did not
destroy the kingdom of Judah at this time because of his covenant that He made
with David. Later on He would destroy
them, but would bring them back after seventy years of captivity.
A word of warning (2Chronicles 21:12-15):
12 ¶ Then 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, 13 but 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, 14 behold, the LORD is
going to strike your people, your sons, your wives and all your possessions
with a great calamity; 15 and you will
suffer severe sickness, a disease of your bowels, until your bowels come out
because of the sickness, day by day.’"
The letter spoken of in this
section comes from Elijah the prophet and this shows again that the one who
wrote 2Kings did not follow a strict chronology when writing this account. It also must be remembered that it is the
Holy Spirit who is the author of the Bible and that He used all of the authors
to pen what it was that He wanted to write down. This can be seen in two places in the NT. 19
¶ So we have the prophetic word made
more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark
place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. 20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy
of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of
human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God (2Peter 1:19-21).” “
2Ti 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by
God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in
righteousness.”
This
letter that Elijah wrote is probably one of the last things that he did before
the Lord took him to heaven and all of the things written in it came true. The Lord would appoint Jehu to kill both the
king of Israel and also the king of Judah and it made it easy for him because
they were both in Samaria at the same time.
This was the price of compromise and it was not worth it at all.
When
Jehoram king of Judah died it is said in 2Chronicles that he was not buried
with his fathers, and yet the account in 2Kings says that he was. In a footnote on this section Dr. Wiersbe
writes that it was probably afterwards that his body was removed from the
king’s tombs and placed somewhere else because of his wickedness.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: “There
is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.” This is from the book of proverbs chapter
sixteen and verse twenty-five. It seemed
right in the way of theses kings to do what they did, but in the end it was
their downfall and death came to them because of their wrong way of thinking
and doing.
All
temptation comes to the mind before it is acted out in sin by the body, and it
is the mind that must be protected by the spiritual armor in order to not
follow the temptations that come through the world or the flesh or the devil.
My Steps of
Faith for Today:
1.
Remember the fierce battle that I am in and the need
for the protection of the spiritual armor.
2.
Continue to learn contentment.
4/29/2011 10:48:48 AM
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