Josiah-Humbled by God's Word PT-3 (2Ki. 22:8-20; 2 Chron. 34:14-28)

6/24/2011 8:52:23 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                          Focus:  Josiah—humbled by God’s Word PT-3

                                                                                                            (Discovering the Scriptures)

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                         Reference:  2Ki. 22:8-20; 2Chro. 34:14-28

 

            Message of the verses:  “8  Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, "I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD." And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan who read it. 9  Shaphan the scribe came to the king and brought back word to the king and said, "Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the LORD." 10  Moreover, Shaphan the scribe told the king saying, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." And Shaphan read it in the presence of the king.

    “11 ¶  When the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes. 12  Then the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Achbor the son of Micaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant saying, 13  "Go, inquire of the LORD for me and the people and all Judah concerning the words of this book that has been found, for great is the wrath of the LORD that burns against us, because our fathers have not listened to the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us." 14  So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter); and they spoke to her. 15  She said to them, "Thus says the LORD God of Israel, ’Tell the man who sent you to me, 16  thus says the LORD, "Behold, I bring evil on this place and on its inhabitants, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read. 17  "Because they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods that they might provoke Me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore My wrath burns against this place, and it shall not be quenched."’ 18  "But to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the LORD thus shall you say to him, ’Thus says the LORD God of Israel, "Regarding the words which you have heard, 19  because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you," declares the LORD. 20  "Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes will not see all the evil which I will bring on this place."’" So they brought back word to the king.”

 

            “14 ¶  When they were bringing out the money which had been brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found the book of the law of the LORD given by Moses. 15  Hilkiah responded and said to Shaphan the scribe, "I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD." And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan. 16  Then Shaphan brought the book to the king and reported further word to the king, saying, "Everything that was entrusted to your servants they are doing. 17  "They have also emptied out the money which was found in the house of the LORD, and have delivered it into the hands of the supervisors and the workmen." 18  Moreover, Shaphan the scribe told the king saying, "Hilkiah the priest gave me a book." And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king. 19  When the king heard the words of the law, he tore his clothes. 20  Then the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying, 21  "Go, inquire of the LORD for me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book which has been found; for great is the wrath of the LORD which is poured out on us because our fathers have not observed the word of the LORD, to do according to all that is written in this book." 22  So Hilkiah and those whom the king had told went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, the keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter); and they spoke to her regarding this. 23  She said to them, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ’Tell the man who sent you to Me, 24  thus says the LORD, "Behold, I am bringing evil on this place and on its inhabitants, even all the curses written in the book which they have read in the presence of the king of Judah. 25  "Because they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore My wrath will be poured out on this place and it shall not be quenched."’ 26  "But to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the LORD, thus you will say to him, ’Thus says the LORD God of Israel regarding the words which you have heard, 27  "Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants, and because you humbled yourself before Me, tore your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you," declares the LORD. 28  "Behold, I will gather you to your fathers and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, so your eyes will not see all the evil which I will bring on this place and on its inhabitants."’" And they brought back word to the king.”

 

            There is an endnote in Dr. Wiersbe’s book that explains that some think that this was like a trick on the part of some of the leaders in Jerusalem to get Josiah to read this part of the Law, but because Josiah had been seeking the Lord for some ten years now there would have been no reason for them to deceive him.  When Manasseh did all of the evil things that he did in the temple of the Lord perhaps these scrolls were hid so that they would not be destroyed.  It is probable that the portion that was found was the first five books of the Bible and the portion that was read to the king was probably the book of Deuteronomy. 

            Josiah was greatly disturbed about what was read to him and if he would not have been seeking the Lord perhaps he would not have reacted in the way that he did.  The next thing that he did after weeping and tearing his clothes was to seek the Lord and see what was going to happen to the people of Israel.  Jeremiah and also Zephaniah were prophets at this time in Jerusalem and both of them were probably not in the city at this time so the king’s leaders went to a prophetess named Huldah, whose husband was the one who took care of the wardrobes for the palace.  John MacArthur mentioned this woman’s name in a recent question and answer time at the church that he pastors in reference to whether or not it was right for a woman to preach.  His answer was that the Bible teaches that women are not to preach in a church or anyplace where they would be preaching to men.  Other women and children would be fine.  At any rate there were a number of women prophetesses in the Scriptures including Miriam, Deborah, Naodiah, the wife of Isaiah the prophet, Anna, and also the four daughters of Philip the evangelist.

            The words that Huldah gave to the king were in two parts and the first one was to Josiah the man and the second was to Josiah the king.  God was certainly going to destroy the nation as was written in the book of the Law, but God would spare Josiah from seeing it because he humbled himself before the Lord and tore his clothes.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  In a recent sermon that I listened to by John MacArthur he tells of twelve things that can be done to glorify the Lord and one of them was to hurt over something that the Lord hurts over and this is what Josiah did when he heard the words from the Law of the Lord.  This is something that I also am to do whenever I hear or see things that are displeasing to the Lord.  I don’t mean to tear my clothes like the king did but to tear them in my heart over distressful things would be good to do.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1.      Romans 12:1-2

2.      Proverbs 3:5-6.

3.      Philippians 4:11-13.

4.      Psalm 139:23-24.

5.      Ephesians 6:10-18.

6.      Hurt when the Lord hurts.

 

6/24/2011 9:46:06 AM

 

 

 

           

Josiah-Humbled by God's Word PT-1 (2 Chron. 34:1-7)

6/23/2011 7:41:57 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                          Focus:  Josiah—humbled by God’s Word PT. 1

                                                                                                            (Cleansing the land)

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  2Chronicles 34:1-7

 

            Message of the verses:  “1 ¶  Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. 2  He did right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of his father David and did not turn aside to the right or to the left. 3  For in the eighth year of his reign while he was still a youth, he began to seek the God of his father David; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim, the carved images and the molten images. 4  They tore down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and the incense altars that were high above them he chopped down; also the Asherim, the carved images and the molten images he broke in pieces and ground to powder and scattered it on the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 5  Then he burned the bones of the priests on their altars and purged Judah and Jerusalem. 6  In the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, even as far as Naphtali, in their surrounding ruins, 7  he also tore down the altars and beat the Asherim and the carved images into powder, and chopped down all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.”

 

            Josiah was king in Judah from 640-609 and he was eight years old when he took over for his father Amnon who was not a good king as he turned the kingdom into worshiping idols and now Josiah will turn it back to worship the Lord and tear down the idols that were put up by his father.  He began to seek the Lord at age sixteen and by age twenty was ready to rid the land of all of the idols, and even went up to the northern tribes to rid them of idols too.

 

            Repairing the temple 2Kings 22:1-7; 2Chronicles 34:8-13:  “   1 ¶  Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. 2  He did right in the sight of the LORD and walked in all the way of his father David, nor did he turn aside to the right or to the left. 3  Now in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan, the son of Azaliah the son of Meshullam the scribe, to the house of the LORD saying, 4  "Go up to Hilkiah the high priest that he may count the money brought in to the house of the LORD which the doorkeepers have gathered from the people. 5  "Let them deliver it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the LORD, and let them give it to the workmen who are in the house of the LORD to repair the damages of the house, 6  to the carpenters and the builders and the masons and for buying timber and hewn stone to repair the house. 7  "Only no accounting shall be made with them for the money delivered into their hands, for they deal faithfully."

 

            “8 ¶  Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah an official of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God. 9  They came to Hilkiah the high priest and delivered the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites, the doorkeepers, had collected from Manasseh and Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Israel, and from all Judah and Benjamin and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10  Then they gave it into the hands of the workmen who had the oversight of the house of the LORD, and the workmen who were working in the house of the LORD used it to restore and repair the house. 11  They in turn gave it to the carpenters and to the builders to buy quarried stone and timber for couplings and to make beams for the houses which the kings of Judah had let go to ruin. 12  The men did the work faithfully with foremen over them to supervise: Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites of the sons of Merari, Zechariah and Meshullam of the sons of the Kohathites, and the Levites, all who were skillful with musical instruments. 13  They were also over the burden bearers, and supervised all the workmen from job to job; and some of the Levites were scribes and officials and gatekeepers.”

 

            I wish to quote a part of the first section from Dr. Warren Wiersbe’s commentary on 2Kings and 2Chronicles:  “Josiah’s eighteenth year as king was indeed a stellar one.  He repaired the temple of the Lord where the Book of the Law was discovered; he made a covenant with the Lord; he carried on further reforms in the land, and he hosted a great celebration of Passover.”  Yes indeed this was a stellar year for King Josiah. 

            The portion that comes from 2Kings does not include the cleansing of the land, but only begins with the cleansing and repairing of the temple.  There was money in the temple that the people had brought for tithes and offerings and now Josiah instructs Shaphan who was the father of a remarkable family to head up this work on the temple.  Shaphan’s son Gemariah would join with others to encourage Josiah not to burn up the scrolls that contained the Law of the Lord.  It was Shaphan’s grandson Micaiah who heard someone reading the 2^nd scroll of Jeremiah in the temple and reported it to the king’s secretary.  (Jer. 36:11ff)  Shaphan’s son carried Jeremiah’s letter to the Jewish exiles in Babylon (Jer.29:1-3).  Shaphan’s son “Ahikam was among the men who consulted Huldah the Prophetess about the book of the Law (1Kings 22:12-20).  After the fall of Judah and Jerusalem, Shaphan’s grandson Gadaliah was named governor of Judah.  The only disappointing son of the four was Jaazaniah who worshiped idols in the temple of the Lord (Ezek. 8:11-12).”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I noticed from the 2Kings portion of Scripture in today’s SD that there was no need to keep records of the money to be used by the officials who were over the repairing of the temple.  Dr. Wiersbe writes the following about this:  “Leadership is stewardship, and leaders must see to it that the work is done with integrity and God’s money is used wisely.”  This is something that is not done on a regular basis in 21^st century America as greed is what mostly goes on today.  Being a good leader is something that I have always tried to be.

            Dr. Wiersbe also pointed out that it wasn’t enough just to destroy the idol worship in the land; the temple had to be available for the worship of the true and living God.  How true this is when leading someone to know the Lord for that is where discipleship has to come into the lives of that person.

            I was impressed by the family of Shaphan and how three of his sons turned out to be great and faithful workers for the Lord.  I am blessed by our children whom the Lord has impressed upon them to be faithful his calling.  God has surely blessed our family and for this I am very thankful.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1.      Romans 12:1-2.

2.      Psalm 139:23-24.

3.      Philippians 4:11-13.

4.      Ephesians 6:10-18.

5.      Proverbs 3:5-6.

 

6/23/2011 9:05:17 AM

Amon-Hardened by Disobedience (2 Ki. 21:19-26; 2 Chron. 33:21-25)

6/22/2011 9:24:01 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  Amon—hardened by disobedience

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                      Reference:  2Ki. 21:19-26; 2Chron. 33:21-25

 

            Message of the verses:  “19 ¶  Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Meshullemeth the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. 20  He did evil in the sight of the LORD, as Manasseh his father had done. 21  For he walked in all the way that his father had walked, and served the idols that his father had served and worshiped them. 22  So he forsook the LORD, the God of his fathers, and did not walk in the way of the LORD. 23  The servants of Amon conspired against him and killed the king in his own house. 24  Then the people of the land killed all those who had conspired against King Amon, and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his place. 25  Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 26  He was buried in his grave in the garden of Uzza, and Josiah his son became king in his place.”

 

            “21 ¶  Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. 22  He did evil in the sight of the LORD as Manasseh his father had done, and Amon sacrificed to all the carved images which his father Manasseh had made, and he served them. 23  Moreover, he did not humble himself before the LORD as his father Manasseh had done, but Amon multiplied guilt. 24  Finally his servants conspired against him and put him to death in his own house. 25  But the people of the land killed all the conspirators against King Amon, and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his place.”

 

            If I counted the verses correctly there are just thirteen verses in this section that tells about the life of Amon.  His father Manasseh had done evil most of his life and once he came back from Assyria with a repentant heart and tore down all of the idols that he had put up he did not have success in the heart of his son that the Lord had in his own heart.  Amon did evil in the sight of the Lord and did not repent like his father had repented.

            Dr. Wiersbe points out that the reason that he was killed by those who were his servants was probably because he was pro-Assyrian and not pro-Babylon, and it was not because of spiritual reasons.  Josiah was pro-Babylon for that is where he would die as he fought against Egypt in order to help the cause of Babylon.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I believe that Manasseh is now in heaven and that all of his sins have been forgiven, yet the influence that he had upon his son Amon is something that I never want to do to anyone in my family or for that matter to anyone.  I do not want to be a stumbling block to anyone.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1.      Romans 12:1-2.

2.      Ephesians 6:10-18.

3.      Proverbs 3:5-5.

4.      Philippians 4:11-13.

5.      Psalm 139:23-24.

 

6/22/2011 9:49:06 AM

Manasseh-Humiliated by Afliction PT-2 (2 Chron. 33:11-13, 19)

6/21/2011 7:13:13 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                            Focus:  Manasseh—humiliated by affliction PT-2

                                                                                                            (Manasseh’s Repentance)

Bible Reading & Meditation                         Reference:  2Chronicles 33:11-13, 19

 

            Message of the verses:  “11 ¶  Therefore the LORD brought the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria against them, and they captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze chains and took him to Babylon. 12  When he was in distress, he entreated the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. 13  When he prayed to Him, He was moved by his entreaty and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God.  19  His prayer also and how God was entreated by him, and all his sin, his unfaithfulness, and the sites on which he built high places and erected the Asherim and the carved images, before he humbled himself, behold, they are written in the records of the Hozai.”

 

            I would like to finish the story of Manasseh this morning, but that will require doing the last two sub-points under the above named main point.  I am amazed at a two things that I find in the section of Manasseh that is recorded in the Scriptures, for it is only parts of two chapters in two different books of the Bible while the life of David takes up four entire books and if you count the Psalms, which he wrote most of them then at least four and a half books of the Old Testament.  The second thing that I am amazed at is the grace of God, for it was the grace of God that saved this wicked king causing him to be humbled and then Manasseh crying out to the Lord as he was humbled by the Lord and then humbled himself before the Lord.  “True repentance is a work of God in the heart and a willing response of the heart to the Lord.”

 

            Manasseh’s reformation (2Chronicles 33:14-18,  20):  “14  Now after this he built the outer wall of the city of David on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entrance of the Fish Gate; and he encircled the Ophel with it and made it very high. Then he put army commanders in all the fortified cities of Judah. 15  He also removed the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the LORD, as well as all the altars which he had built on the mountain of the house of the LORD and in Jerusalem, and he threw them outside the city. 16 He set up the altar of the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings and thank offerings on it; and he ordered Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel. 17  Nevertheless the people still sacrificed in the high places, although only to the LORD their God. 18  Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh even his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the LORD God of Israel, behold, they are among the records of the kings of Israel. 20  So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house. And Amon his son became king in his place.”

 

            In the book of Matthew chapter three and verse eight John the Baptist said the following statement that is seen in the later life of Manasseh, “"Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance.”  He was making this statement to some of the Pharisees and Sadducees after they had come out in the wilderness to hear him preach.

            Manasseh did bear fruit in keeping with his repentance for he tore down all of the idols that he had placed in the temple of the Lord and he also tore down the idols that he had put in other places around Jerusalem.  He fortified the city of Jerusalem and also other cities in Judah in order to protect the people.  He told all the people not to worship idols, but to worship the Lord and because they saw him doing this it made it more believable that Manasseh repented and turned to the Lord.  He still allowed the worship on the high places, but only to the Lord.

            There is nothing of this mentioned in 2Kings, and perhaps that is because the books of first and second Chronicles were written during the Babylon captivity and the people needed to hear of the amazing grace of God in saving a wicked man like Manasseh in order to have the hope and faith they needed to have while living in Babylon.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Manasseh and the apostle Paul are two great trophies of the grace of God and their wickedness is written on the pages of holy Scripture for all to read about, but I too am a trophy of the wonderful grace of God and because of that my name is written in the Lamb’s book of life.  Paul writes in the letter to the Romans “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  There is no doubt that I too am part of that “all.”

 

 My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1.      Give myself to the Lord for worship and for service this day so that I can live for the glory of God.

2.      Continue to learn contentment.

3.      Remember the need for the spiritual armor for the battle is fierce.

4.      Proverbs 3:5-6.

5.      Psalm 139:23-24.

 

6/21/2011 7:56:56 AM

Manasseh--Humiliated by Affliction PT-1 (2 Ki. 21:1-18; 2 Chron. 33:1-10)

6/20/2011 7:03:29 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                          Focus:  Manasseh—humiliated by affliction PT. 1

                                                                                                            (Manasseh’s wickedness)

Bible Reading & Meditation                         Reference:  2Ki. 21:1-18; 2Chron. 33:1-10

 

            Message of the verses:  “1 ¶  Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Hephzibah. 2  He did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD dispossessed before the sons of Israel. 3  For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. 4  He built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, "In Jerusalem I will put My name." 5  For he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. 6  He made his son pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and used divination, and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD provoking Him to anger. 7  Then he set the carved image of Asherah that he had made, in the house of which the LORD said to David and to his son Solomon, "In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever. 8  "And I will not make the feet of Israel wander anymore from the land which I gave their fathers, if only they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that My servant Moses commanded them." 9  But they did not listen, and Manasseh seduced them to do evil more than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the sons of Israel.

    “10 ¶  Now the LORD spoke through His servants the prophets, saying, 11  "Because Manasseh king of Judah has done these abominations, having done wickedly more than all the Amorites did who were before him, and has also made Judah sin with his idols; 12  therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ’Behold, I am bringing such calamity on Jerusalem and Judah, that whoever hears of it, both his ears will tingle. 13  ’I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab, and I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. 14  ’I will abandon the remnant of My inheritance and deliver them into the hand of their enemies, and they will become as plunder and spoil to all their enemies; 15  because they have done evil in My sight, and have been provoking Me to anger since the day their fathers came from Egypt, even to this day.’" 16  Moreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; besides his sin with which he made Judah sin, in doing evil in the sight of the LORD. 17  Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh and all that he did and his sin which he committed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 18  And Manasseh slept with his fathers and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza, and Amon his son became king in his place.”

 

            “1 ¶  Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. 2  He did evil in the sight of the LORD according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD dispossessed before the sons of Israel. 3  For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; he also erected altars for the Baals and made Asherim, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. 4  He built altars in the house of the LORD of which the LORD had said, "My name shall be in Jerusalem forever." 5  For he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. 6  He made his sons pass through the fire in the valley of Ben-hinnom; and he practiced witchcraft, used divination, practiced sorcery and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger. 7  Then he put the carved image of the idol which he had made in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, "In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever; 8  and I will not again remove the foot of Israel from the land which I have appointed for your fathers, if only they will observe to do all that I have commanded them according to all the law, the statutes and the ordinances given through Moses." 9  Thus Manasseh misled Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the sons of Israel. 10  The LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention.”

            Today’s SD begins the twelfth chapter in “Be Distinct” Dr. Warren Wiersbe’s commentary on 2Kings and parts of 2Chronicles.  He entitles this chapter “The End is Near,” and in this chapter there are three different main points with many different sub-points under these main points.  The chapter covers three different kings of Judah of which two are wicked and one is one of Judah’s better kings.

            Here are some things that Dr. Wiersbe writes about Manasseh, and one of them is a complete surprise to me, and that was that Manasseh was not born during the time after Hezekiah’s illness in which the Lord told Hezekiah that he had fifteen more years to live.  The text says that Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign in Judah.  Dr. Wiersbe writes that if Manasseh was born in 709 BC then he was seven years old when Hezekiah was healed from his illness and was eight years old when the 185,000 Assyrians were killed by the angel.  In an endnote he writes the following:  “If Manasseh was twelve years old in 697, then he was born in 709.  He was coregent with his father from 697-687 and served alone for the next forty-five years.  He was seven years in 702 when his father had that severe illness, and he became coregent five years later (697).  Since Manasseh was the heir to David’s throne, his father surely taught him to obey the Word.”

            The way that Manasseh turned out to be written of him that he was the most wicked king in the history of Judah is one of the mysteries of the OT Scriptures, yet the prophet Jeremiah writes the following to help me understand this mystery:  “Jer. 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”  Jeremiah also write the following about Manasseh: “1 ¶  Then the LORD said to me, "Even though Moses and Samuel were to stand before Me, My heart would not be with this people; send them away from My presence and let them go! 2  "And it shall be that when they say to you, ’Where should we go?’ then you are to tell them, ’Thus says the LORD: "Those destined for death, to death; And those destined for the sword, to the sword; And those destined for famine, to famine; And those destined for captivity, to captivity."’ 3  "I will appoint over them four kinds of doom," declares the LORD: "the sword to slay, the dogs to drag off, and the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy. 4  "I will make them an object of horror among all the kingdoms of the earth because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem,” (Jer. 15:1-4).

            I believe that one of the most detestable things that Manasseh did was to put other god’s into the temple of the Lord, thus making God only one of the gods to be worshiped.  God is God alone and not to be put on display with a bunch of idols and when He was put on display in His own temple this was a terrible thing. "You shall have no other gods before Me,” is the very first commandment of the Ten Commandments and Manasseh surely broke this commandment along with all the others. 

            Manasseh reigned the longest of any king in the history of Judah, and one wonders why this happened.  Perhaps God allowed them to be given over to these awful sins so all of the filth could pour out of the people’s hearts.  Judgment was right around the corner because the people of Judah did not learn anything from the fall of Israel, and because they were breaking the covenant that the Lord had made with them.  This covenant is written in the 28^th chapter of Deuteronomy and this covenant is a conditional covenant saying that if the people would follow the Lord and obey His Law then the Lord would bless them, but if they didn’t then the following would happen:  “64  "Moreover, the LORD will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth; and there you shall serve other gods, wood and stone, which you or your fathers have not known. 65  "Among those nations you shall find no rest, and there will be no resting place for the sole of your foot; but there the LORD will give you a trembling heart, failing of eyes, and despair of soul. 66  "So your life shall hang in doubt before you; and you will be in dread night and day, and shall have no assurance of your life. 67  "In the morning you shall say, ’Would that it were evening!’ And at evening you shall say, ’Would that it were morning!’ because of the dread of your heart which you dread, and for the sight of your eyes which you will see. 68  "The LORD will bring you back to Egypt in ships, by the way about which I spoke to you, ’You will never see it again!’ And there you will offer yourselves for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, but there will be no buyer."  The last part of this prophecy took place after the 2^nd temple was destroyed in 70 AD.  There was no one to buy the Jews as slaves for there were too many slaves on the slave market at that time in history.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  At the end of his life Manasseh was humbled by the Lord and therefore he became a believer in the living God, but this fact is not what is remembered by most when they think of Manasseh, they instead think of all the evil that he did.  God’s grace was greater than all of Manasseh’s sin, but the damage had already been done.  This is just another reminder to me that I am to live a holy life, and that I am to continue to do this as long as the Lord gives me breathe, and that I am to finish my course strongly.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1.      Finish strong.

2.      Give myself to the Lord today for worship and for service.

3.      Continue to learn contentment.

4.      Psalm 139:23-24.

5.      Proverbs 3:5-6.

6.      Ephesians 6:10-18.

 

6/20/2011 8:14:55 AM           

Death (2Ki. 20:20-21; 2 Chron. 32:27-33)

6/19/2011 10:17:14 PM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

           

My Worship Time                                                                                                      Focus:  Death

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                      Reference:  2Ki. 20:20-21; 2Chron. 32:27-33

 

            Message of the verses:  “20  Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and all his might, and how he made the pool and the conduit and brought water into the city, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 21  So Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and Manasseh his son became king in his place.”

 

            “27  Now Hezekiah had immense riches and honor; and he made for himself treasuries for silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields and all kinds of valuable articles, 28  storehouses also for the produce of grain, wine and oil, pens for all kinds of cattle and sheepfolds for the flocks. 29  He made cities for himself and acquired flocks and herds in abundance, for God had given him very great wealth. 30  It was Hezekiah who stopped the upper outlet of the waters of Gihon and directed them to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all that he did. 31  Even in the matter of the envoys of the rulers of Babylon, who sent to him to inquire of the wonder that had happened in the land, God left him alone only to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart. 32  Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his deeds of devotion, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 33  So Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the upper section of the tombs of the sons of David; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem honored him at his death. And his son Manasseh became king in his place.”

 

            It is sad for me to leave this study of Hezekiah as the Lord has used his life to bless my life and for that I am very thankful.  Hezekiah was one of the best kings of Judah, and he was a man who wanted to be like his relative David, and that was one of the reasons that the Lord blessed his life.  Hezekiah did indeed have problems and failed the Lord on different occasions, but because he wanted to be like David he would realize his sin and confess it to the Lord.  He was buried near where David was buried and many people came to honor his life when he was buried.  His son Manasseh would replace him and that was not good news for the people of Judah.

 

 

6/19/2011 10:29:46 PM