9 posts tagged “israel”
Today I received this e-mail from our former pastor David Jeremiah of Turning Point and Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon, California.
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This may go down in history as one of the most traumatic weeks in American history. One gets the impression from the news that we are teetering on the edge of the worst financial crisis since the great depression of 1929. People everywhere are uneasy and some are in a panic mode.
All of us should be concerned, and I am sure you have been doing some extra praying during these days. But at such a time as this, I find my faith lifting me up and giving me a sense of confidence that is only understandable to those who know the Lord. Paul was right when he wrote to the Philippians that the “peace of God was beyond understanding.”
One of the big reasons for confidence in such a time is a relationship with a never-changing God. He is not affected by the collapse of our financial institutions. And I sometimes wonder if He isn’t allowing this in order to get the attention of the blessed people of America. I was reminded this week of a passage in the Old Testament that records a warning that God gave to His people Israel as they were about to embark on their journey into the promised land. Listen to these words:
Deuteronomy 6:10-12 - “So it shall be, when the Lord your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build, houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant - when you have eaten and are full - then beware, lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.”
Is this not an accurate picture of our nation today? We have been given so much, and we have forgotten God. Is it possible that Almighty God has had enough of our arrogance and self-praise? The Bible does not hold out much hope for nations that forget God.
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NEHEMIAH
Read Nehemiah 1–2; 4:1–15
I answered them by saying, "The God of heaven will give us success." Nehemiah 2:20a NIV
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Nehemiah, a cupbearer for the King of Persia, received some alarming news from Judah: "Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire." (1:3) The king agreed to allow Nehemiah to go and help his people rebuild Jerusalem – but the enemies of the Jews were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites. (2:10)
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Not only was the work overwhelming–leaving the people exhausted–but three local officials set out to discourage the people with ridicule and intimidation. When that didn’t work, they threatened to fight against them. Nehemiah encouraged the people to "Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes." (4:14)
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Lord, in our homes and churches, we need encouragement for some of these same issues ─ maintaining motivation, overcoming fatigue and dealing with our spiritual enemy who says we cannot succeed. Help us to remember Nehemiah's words: "The joy of the LORD is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:10)
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"Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families…." Nehemiah 4:13 NIV
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KING JOSIAH
Read 2 Chronicles 34
Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the LORD as he did–with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.
2 Kings 23:25 NIV
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Josiah was only eight years old when his wicked father, Amon was assassinated and he became king. Josiah had never seen a copy of God's Word and yet, at the age of sixteen, he began to seek the God of his ancestor David. He destroyed many of the idols his father and grandfather had set up, and when he was twenty‑six years old, he began to restore the temple. One of the priests found a copy of the law given to Moses. When Josiah heard it read he said, "Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for the remnant in Israel and Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the LORD's anger that is poured out on us because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written in this book." (34:21)
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Josiah's story illustrates that a young person who wants to know God will find Him, in spite of his background. Lord, make our home a place where young people will feel welcome and hear the truth of Your Word. Let it be a lighthouse in a dark world.
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"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." 1 Timothy 4:12 NIV
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THE RESCUE OF JOASH
Read 2 Chronicles 22:1–12
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Athaliah, the mother of King Ahaziah was perhaps the most evil woman who ever lived, with the exception of her mother Jezebel. She murdered her own grandsons so that she herself could assume the throne. But Athaliah's sister, wife of the priest, rescued baby Joash and hid him in the temple for six years. At the age of seven, Joash was made king and he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the years of Jehoiada the priest. (24:2)
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After Jehoiada died, the ungodly officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them. “Therefore they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers, and served wooden images and idols; and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem because of their trespass. (2 Chronicles 24:18 NKJV) King Ahaziah was influenced by his wicked mother, Athaliah, and King Joash was influenced by godly Jehoiada the priest–but in the end both of them rebelled against God.
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Lord, I pray for the personal salvation of each one of our children. Help us to influence them toward God, but also to teach them that ultimately, the choice must be theirs to follow Him.
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… to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God– children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12-13 NIV
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THE BRONZE SNAKE
Read Numbers 21:4–9; 2 Kings 18:1–8
They spoke against God and against Moses, and said, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!" Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. Numbers 21:5–6 NIV
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During the Exodus from Egypt, God sent a plague of snakes because the people grumbled against God and Moses. The people came to Moses and said, "We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us." So Moses prayed for the people. The LORD said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live." (21:7-8)
Hundreds of years later, the people of Judah were worshiping the bronze snake, instead of honoring God who had brought them out of Egypt. When Hezekiah became king, He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (2 Kings 18:4) The bronze snake was a gift from God for healing and they focused on the gift instead of the One who gave it–making it into an idol.
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Father, the bronze snake could not heal in itself, but it represented the One who could–Jesus Christ who was lifted up on the cross for our sin. Lord, keep my focus on You, the giver of every good and perfect gift.
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"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." John 3:14-15 NIV
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NAAMAN
Read 2 Kings 5:1–14
“Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed?" 2 Kings 5:12 NIV
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Naaman was the commander of the army of Syria, (Aram) enemy of Israel. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy. His wife's young Israeli servant, who had been captured in a raid, told him that there was a prophet in Israel who could heal him.
Naaman expected some sort of dramatic production by Elisha the prophet, but instead he was told to humble himself and wash seven times in the Jordan River–the territory of his enemy. At first he reacted in rage saying, "I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy.” (2 Kings 5:11)
Like many people today, Naaman balked at the simplicity and humility required for his healing. Some find it hard to admit that they are sinners in need of Jesus who said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) Through him we have forgiveness and eternal life.
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Lord, thank You for giving Your Son on the cross so that I could be cleansed of my sin. Give me the opportunity to share my faith, just as Naaman's servant girl shared hers, even in enemy territory.
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So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy. 2 Kings 5:14 NIV
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Read 2 Kings 3:1–4:7
"Make this valley full of ditches. For this is what the LORD says: 'You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink.' " 2 Kings 3:16-17 NIV
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In these stories, Elisha performs two miracles: One for the armies of Judah and Israel, asking God to deliver them from the Moabites–and the other for a widow and her sons who could not pay her creditors.
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In each case, Elisha asked them to do something that demonstrated their faith: The armies were to dig ditches–in anticipation that God will fill them with water. The widow and her sons were to gather empty jars–believing that God would fill them with oil.
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Both the armies and the widow were faced with a situation they couldn’t handle alone. They had to acknowledge that God was able to meet their needs, by obeying the Word of the Lord spoken through Elisha. The jars were filled with oil and the ditches with water–which miraculously appeared to be blood–causing the Moabites to be defeated.
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We too can be victorious when our hearts are filled with the water of God’s Word and faith in the shed blood of Jesus for our sins. Like the widow’s jars, we will be filled with the oil of God’s Holy Spirit.
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Lord, I bring my empty jar to You. Fill me with a double portion of Your Holy Spirit as I walk out into this day, and may the oil and water continue to flow out to others through me.
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"If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." John 7:37b-38 NIV
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Read 1 Samuel 8:1–5; 12:1–25
"You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have." 1 Samuel 8:5 NIV
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Samuel was an honest, godly man who led Israel faithfully, but his sons did not follow in his ways. We are not told the reasons for this, but we are told that they turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice. (8:3b) Because of this corrupt and ungodly behavior by Samuel’s sons, the people began to demand that Samuel appoint them a king.
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God gave them what they asked for–a tall handsome young man named Saul. But he came with a warning: This king and many of the kings after him would bring far more grief to the people than they had yet known, taxing them and drafting their sons into forced labor. Samuel said, “When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day." (8:18)
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Lord, may we never forget to pray for our sons and daughters, raising them to be honest and trustworthy. Help me to be consistent in my own spiritual walk and in the discipline of our children. God bless our home that it will be a light in a dark world, reflecting your love and faithfulness.
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“As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right." 1 Samuel 12:23 NIV
THE GIBEONITES
Read Joshua 9:1–10:14
The Gibeonites then sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: "Do not abandon your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us, because all the Amorite kings from the hill country have joined forces against us." Joshua 10:6 NIV
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When the Gibeonites heard about Israel’s miraculous victories at Jericho and Ai, they resorted to a ruse: They pretended to be traveling from a distant country when in fact they were near neighbors. They said, “This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you. But now see how dry and moldy it is.” The men of Israel sampled their provisions “but did not inquire of the LORD.” (Joshua 9:14) Then Joshua signed a treaty with them and the leaders ratified it by oath.
In spite of the questionable way this treaty came about, God expected Israel to honor it. The Lord worked a mighty miracle on the day the Israelites defended the Gibeonites’: The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day till the nation avenged itself on its enemies. (Joshua 10:13)
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Lord, help me to be careful when making promises and faithful to keep them–especially to my children–remembering that You are a covenant keeping God. “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.” (2 Corinthians 1:20 NKJV)
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There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the LORD listened to a man. Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel! Joshua 10:14 NIV
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