SAMUEL LEADS ISRAEL

PROCLAMATION

“And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, ‘If ye do return unto The Lord with all your hearts … He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.’  Then the children of Israel put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served The Lord only.”  1 Samuel 7:3-4 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the prophet Samuel.  The men of Kiriath Jearim came and took the ark of The Lord from Beth Shemesh as requested.  They kept the ark with them for twenty years. (1 Samuel 7:1-2)  Then the Israelites turned back to The Lord.  Samuel told them to put away their foreign gods and serve only The Lord, and He would deliver them out of the hands of the Philistines. (1 Samuel 2-4)  The Israelites put away their idols and gathered at Mizpah where they fasted and confessed with Samuel as their leader.  When the Philistines heard that they had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines led an attack against them. (1 Samuel 7:5-7)  Samuel offered a sacrifice unto The Lord and that same day The Lord thundered with a loud thunder and caused the Philistines to panic.  The men of Israel then rushed out and pursued and slaughtered the Philistines. (1 Samuel 7:8-11)  They so subdued the Philistines that the towns of Ekron and Gath which had been captured were restored to Israel. (1 Samuel 7:12-14)  Samuel continued as the leader of Israel all the days of his life. (1 Samuel 7:15-17)

 

APPLICATION

If we as believers, who are called Christians, would humble ourselves, and pray, and seek The Lord God, and turn from our wicked sinful ways, then He would forgive us and heal us and our land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)  We have heard The Word of God preached to us, but we need to internalize it and become doers of The Word. (James 1:22)  We also need to read and study The Word of God, (2 Timothy 2:15) so that we can grow in the knowledge of Christ (2 Peter 3:18) and grow in holiness.  We should not stay babes in Christ and be fed The Word as milk instead of meat. (1 Corinthians 3:2)  We should want to grow spiritually.

 

BELIEVE AND OBEY EVEN WHEN YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND

PROCLAMATION

“And The Lord said unto Moses in Midian, ‘Go, return to Egypt; for all the men are dead which sought thy life.’  And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt; and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.”  Exodus 4:19-20 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These are the words of God which were revealed to and written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  After The Lord God told Moses that He was going to send him into Egypt to tell Pharaoh to let His people go, Moses asked, “What if they do not believe me?”  The Lord then showed Moses several signs to show the people so that they would believe that The God of their fathers had appeared to him and spoken to him. (Exodus 4:1-9)  Then Moses came up with a number of excuses which he offered to God as reasons why God should not sent him to Pharaoh. (Exodus 3:10-13)  Then God explained to him how it would work.  God would tell Moses what to do and what to say, and Moses would tell Aaron who would then tell the people what thus saith The Lord. (Exodus 3:14-16)  Moses then went down the mountain and he told his father-in-law Jethro that he must return to Egypt.  He packed up his family and returned to Egypt. (Exodus 4:18-20)  The Lord told Moses to perform before Pharaoh all the wonders that He had given him the power to perform.  He said that He would harden Pharaoh’s heart and he would not let the people go. (Exodus 4:21-23)  But first God had to threaten to kill Moses for not circumcising his son.  His non-Hebrew wife, who apparently did not want to harm her son, had to circumcise him on their way to Egypt to save the life of Moses. (Exodus 4:24-26)  Then Aaron met Moses in the wilderness and then they went to the elders. (Exodus 4:27-31)

 

APPLICATION

Like Moses, sometimes we have our doubts about the things which The Lord God tells us to do.  At times we even question God’s instructions.  However, it is better for us to believe in Him, and in His Holy Word, and to obey Him even when we do not understand how it is all going to work.  It is our place to trust in The Lord.  We do not have the mental capacity to fully understand or comprehend all that He knows.  Additionally, He knows the future and what it holds for us.  So, let us not just be hearers of The Word but let us also be doers of The Word. (James 1:22)

  

THE SIN AND SHAME OF JUDAH

PROCLAMATION

“Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter-in-law, ‘Remain a widow at thy father’s house, till Shelah my son be grown;’ Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did … When Judah saw her, he thought her to be a harlot … And he … said ‘… let me come in unto thee’ … and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.”  Genesis 38:11-18 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These are the words of God which were revealed to and written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  After they sold Joseph to the Midianites, (Genesis 37:36) Judah, Jacob’s fourth son by Leah, left his brothers and went to Adullam.  There he met and married a Canaanite woman, against the will of God, who bore him three sons. (Genesis 38:1-5)  When his first son Er was of age, Judah got a Canaanite wife for him named Tamar.  But Er was evil and The Lord took him. (Genesis 38:6-7)  Judah told his second son Onan to sleep with Tamar to fulfill his duty to his brother’s wife but he would spill his semen on the ground whenever he slept with her.  This was wicked in the sight of The Lord, so He took him. (Genesis 38:8-10)  Then Judah sent Tamar to live with her father until his third son Shelah grew up and came of age. (Genesis 38:11)  After a while Judah’s wife died, and he went to Timnah where the men were shearing sheep.  Tamar heard that he was coming there, and she disguised herself and met him.  Shelah had grown up and she had not been given to him to wife.  When Judah saw her he thought that she was a prostitute and slept with her.  As payment for her services he promised her a goat and gave her his seal and his staff to hold until she got the goat. (Genesis 38:12-22)  About three months later Judah was told that his daughter-in-law Tamar was pregnant, and he was going to put her to death.  When she was brought to him, she showed him the ring and staff and he recognized them. (Genesis 38:23-30)

 

APPLICATION

Moses describes the genealogy of Judah because The Messiah would come through him. (Hebrews 7:14)  He also describes his sin, shame, indiscretion, and disobedience.  We need to fellowship with God-fearing Christians because all too often we will sink to the sinful level of those that we associate with.  That is why we need to choose our friends wisely.  We may also need to avoid certain members of our family, and love and pray for them at a distance.  If we are not strong enough in The Lord to bring them up, then we should stay away from them and not let them bring us down.

BLESSED BECAUSE OF HIS OBEDIENT FATHER

PROCLAMATION

“And The Lord appeared unto him the same night, and said, ‘I am The God of Abraham thy father; fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham’s sake.”  Genesis 26:24 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These are the words of God which were revealed to and written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  And again there was a great famine in the land and Isaac was going to leave the land and go down to Egypt as his father Abraham had done during the previous famine. (Genesis 26:1)  However, The Lord God appeared to him in a dream and told him not to leave the land. (Genesis 26:2) God told him to stay in the land and He would bless him.  He said that He would give him and his descendants the land as He promised Abraham.  God said that He would make his descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky. (Genesis 26:2-6)  Isaac stayed in Gerar.  When the men of Gerar approached him regarding Rebekah, he lied and said that she was his sister, just as his father Abraham had lied about his wife. (Genesis 26:6-7)  After some time had passed, Abimelek king of the Philistines saw him caressing Rebekah.  He summoned Isaac and questioned him as to why he said that she was his sister when she was his wife.  Isaac answered that he feared for his life if he had been truthful. (Genesis 26:8-11)  Isaac stayed in the land and became very wealthy.  Abimelek told Isaac to move away because he had acquired too much.  Everywhere that he moved to and dug wells, his herders quarreled with the herders of the Gerar until he came to Rehoboth, and there he prospered. (Genesis 26:12-22)  It was there that The Lord appeared to him again and repeated His promise to bless him and his descendants  for the sake of His servant Abraham. (Genesis 26:24-25)  When Abimelek saw how much Isaac had prospered, he knew that The Lord was with him and he went to Isaac to make a treaty with him. (Genesis 26:26-33)

 

APPLICATION

As the saying goes, “Like father, like son.”  Like his father, Isaac committed some of the same sins that Abraham committed, but he lacked his father’s seal for obeying The Word of God.  Isaac stayed in the land as God told him and dug a lot of wells.  What we can learn from Isaac is that it pays to be patient.  He dealt with a lot of rejection while he patiently waited on the blessings which The Lord had promised his father.  With patient obedience comes prosperity and blessings.  “… Wait, I say, on The Lord.” (Psalm 27:14)

WHEN THE LORD SAYS GO IT IS TIME TO MOVE

PROCLAMATION

“Now The Lord had said unto Abram, ‘Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee.’ ”  Genesis 12:1 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These are the words of God which were revealed to and written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  After God confounded their language and scattered mankind to different parts of the earth, (Genesis 11:3-8) they continued to multiply.  Abram, who would later become known as Abraham and as the father of the faithful, (Genesis 17:5) was born from the lineage of Shem. (Genesis 11:10-26)  Abram and his wife Sarai went with his father from the land of Ur to Harran and settled there. (Genesis 11:31)  It was from there that The Lord God told Abram to leave. (Genesis 12:1)  The Lord told Abram that He would bless him and make him into a great nation.  God said that whoever blesses Abram would be blessed and whoever curses him would be cursed.  All of mankind would be blessed through him. (Genesis 12:2-3)  Abram left Harran and travelled through Canaan, and towards Bethel, to Egypt.  It was in Egypt that Abram lied to Pharaoh and said that his wife Sarai was his sister because he feared for his life. (Genesis 12:10-16)  Sarai was taken to Pharaoh’s palace, but God sent a plague upon Pharaoh and his household and Sarai was returned to Abram before Pharaoh touched her. (Genesis 12:17-20)

 

APPLICATION

When The Lord God tells us to “Go” then it is time for us to go, even when we are not sure exactly where we are going.  When God says that we are to leave a place or a person, then it is time for us to move on.  Sometimes we have to move out of our comfort zone in order to be where God wants us to be.  There are times when we need to leave a job, a city, a relationship, or some people behind, and that includes family.  We need to listen to and obey the voice of God.  He speaks to us with a still small voice (1 Kings 19:12) and through His Holy Word.  Where we were yesterday may not be where God wants us to be tomorrow, so it may be time for us to move today.  We all need to make sure that we are where God wants us to be and that we are doing what God wants us to do.

 

LISTEN TO THE WARNING FROM THE MAN OF GOD

PROCLAMATION

“… So Paul warned them, ‘Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.’  But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship.”  Acts 27:9-11 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written by Luke, the physician and traveling companion of the apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this chapter Luke recorded the events surrounding their journey to Rome, including the storm that they encountered on their voyage.  Because Paul had requested an appeal from Caesar, Governor Festus handed Paul over to a centurion named Julius and they boarded a ship for the voyage to Italy. (Acts 26:32 to 27:2)  The beginning of the voyage was uneventful.  When they reached Myra in Lycia, they boarded an Alexandrian ship which was sailing for Italy. (Acts 27:5-6)  The voyage from that point was difficult.  When the reached Fair Havens near the town of Lasea, Paul warned them not to continue the voyage. (Acts 27:7-10)  They did not listen to Paul and got caught in a violent storm.  After days of violent battering from the storm, they threw everything overboard and were planning to jump ship. (Acts 27:13-20)  Paul spoke to them again and warned them not to leave the ship.  He said that the ship would be destroyed but they would all live if they stayed with the ship. (Acts 27:21-26)  After two weeks at sea in the storm, they began to approach land.  Some of the sailors, fearing that they would be dashed against the rocks, attempted to escape the ship in lifeboats.  Paul told the centurion that unless they all stayed with the ship, they would not be saved.  This time they listened to Paul’s warning. (Acts 27:27-32)  They cut loose the lifeboats, stayed on the ship, and they were all made it safely to the island even though the ship was broken into pieces. (Acts 27:39-44)

 

APPLICATION

We should listen to the advice from the man of God and heed his warnings.  We could avoid some of the bad things and situations in our lives if we would obey The Word of God.  Not heeding The Word can be bad, but we do not have to continue down that path.  It does not matter how much bad we have done, with the help of The Lord, we can turn our life around.  If we believe and ask Him to forgive us, He is faithful and just, and He will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH

PROCLAMATION

“Then Jesus said to the crowds and to His disciples: ‘The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.  So you must be careful to do everything they tell you.  But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.’ ”  Matthew 23:1-3 (NIV)

EXPLANATION
These words are from the gospel, the good news regarding Jesus, The Christ, which were spoken by Christ according to the Apostle Matthew.  As Jesus continued to speak, He offered a warning to them against hypocrisy.  He said that the scribes and the Pharisees did not themselves do that which they told the people to do. (Matthew 23:3-4)  They did things so that people would take notice of them, and they like to be greeted publicly with respectful titles. (Matthew 23:5-11)  Jesus, The Christ, said: “And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” (Matthew 23:12)  He then went on to state seven woes on the scribes and the Pharisees because of their behavior. (Matthew 23:13-31) He also condemned them along with the people of Jerusalem who stoned and killed His prophets. (Matthew 23:33-39)

APPLICATION

The best way to determine if you are listening to a real man of God or a false teacher is to compare what he says to The Word of God.  If what he says does not follow The Bible, then do not follow him.  Also, be careful of anyone who says one thing but does something different.  We all should practice that which we preach.  That old saying: “Do as I say do and not as I do,” is not appropriate for leaders or people in authority.  No one is above the law.  It is also not good advice for anyone to give to someone else.  We need to live by the same rules that we expect others to live by.  The Word of God applies to all of us and all of us should follow it.  We may occasionally slip, and fall short, and sin, but our sins are not acceptable and are not to be overlooked.  We all need to confess our sins and ask to be forgiven.  We should not only “talk the talk,” we should also “walk the walk” and do the best that we can do to live to the glory of God. “Whatsoever you do, do it all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)  

DISASTER DUE TO WILLFUL DISOBEDIENCE

PROCLAMATION

“Again and again I sent My servants the prophets, who said, ‘Do not do this detestable thing that I hate!’  But they did not listen or pay attention; they did not turn from their wickedness or stop burning incense to other gods.”  Jeremiah 44:4-5 (NIV)

EXPLANATION
These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the prophet Jeremiah and which he proclaimed to the people of Judah.  “You saw the great disaster I brought on Jerusalem and on the towns of Judah.”  They lie deserted and in ruins because of your sins and the sins of your ancestors. (Jeremiah 44:1-5)  Then The Lord God asked them why they were going to bring additional disaster upon themselves. (Jeremiah 44:7-8)  Their response was that while they were worshiping their idol god, they had plenty of food, they were well off, and they suffered no harm. (Jeremiah 44:17-18)  Because of their willful disobedience The Lord God said that they would all die in Egypt. (Jeremiah 44:28)

APPLICATION

Every sin is a sin against The Lord God. (Psalm 51:4)  We may do wrong to another person, but the sin that we commit is against God.  When we know what The Word of God says, and we intentionally choose to disobey it, then we should also know that we will be punished for doing so.  We may not pay the ultimate penalty for sin (Romans 6:23) but we will be punished for it.  However, if one is bold enough to say that they would rather serve an idol god than serve The Lord God, then there is nothing left for them but the coming judgment.  But if you are willing to repent, and humble yourself, and pray, and seek His face, and turn from your wicked ways, then The Lord God will hear you and forgive you. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

SOME PEOPLE OBEY MAN BETTER THAN OTHERS OBEY GOD

PROCLAMATION

“The descendants of Jehonadab son of Rekab have carried out the command their forefather gave them, but these people have not obeyed Me.”  Jeremiah 35:16 (NIV)

EXPLANATION
These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the prophet Jeremiah and proclaimed to the people of Judah.  Chapter thirty-five of The Bible Book of Jeremiah begins  with The Lord God telling Jeremiah to go to the Rekabite family and invite them to the temple and give them wine to drink. (Jeremiah 35:1-2)  Jeremiah did as The Lord God told him and when they got to the temple, they refused to drink the wine.  They said that their forefather Jehonadab had commanded them not to drink wine, build houses, sow seed, or plant vineyards.  They were to live in tents as nomads. (Jeremiah 35:3-10)  Then The Lord God spoke to Jeremiah and said these people obeyed the command of their forefather, a man, and yet My people will not obey Me. (Jeremiah 35:12-16)  Because of their disobedience I am going to bring disaster on Judah and Jerusalem. (Jeremiah 35:17)

APPLICATION
Most people obey the laws of man and the traditions of the ancestors much better than most Christians obey The Word of God.  Man can do nothing for us compared to what The Lord God can do.  Yet some Christians act as if they do not believe that God is real.  They reverence Him for several hours one day of each week and then they behave like the rest of the world for the remainder of the time.  Worldly people do not take Christians seriously because, based upon our behavior, we do not take our God seriously.  We should put The Lord God before everything else. (Exodus 20:1-5)  After all that He has done for us we should love The Lord God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. (Mark 12:30)  If we love Him then we should keep His commands. (John 14:15)  Remember, our actions speak louder than our words.  Let us pray that we will be doers of God’s Holy Word and not just hearers only. (James 1:22)

SINS WILL BE FORGIVEN AND FORGOTTEN

PROCLAMATION

“ ‘This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,’ declares The Lord.  ‘I will put My law in their minds and write it on their hearts.  I will be their God, and they will be my people.  No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know The Lord,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest,’ declares The Lord.  ‘For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.’ ” Jeremiah 31:33-34 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the prophet Jeremiah and proclaimed to the people of Judah.  The Lord God promises peace, prosperity, joy, and happiness to Israel and Judah after He returns them to their homeland. (Jeremiah 31:1-17)  He says that He will watch over them as they build and plant. (Jeremiah 31:27-28)  He also said that the days are coming when He will establish a new covenant the people of Israel and Judah. (Jeremiah 31:32-34)  Then He says that He will forgive and forget their sins. (Jeremiah 31:34)

APPLICATION

If we would live like we recognize and remember that The Lord God is our God and we are His people, then we would enjoy the promises of God, His peace, prosperity, joy, and happiness.  Our problem is that we want to do whatever it is that we want to do, and we don’t want to obey God’s Holy Word.  We claim that we love The Lord, but we don’t want to obey Him.  Jesus, The Christ, said “If you love me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15)  Sinless perfection is not required.  However, after we sin, believers must ask God to be forgiven, and then our sins will be forgiven and forgotten.

THE RESTORATION PREDICTED

PROCLAMATION

“ ‘I am with you and will save you,’ declares The Lord.  ‘Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you.  I will discipline you but only in measure; I will not let you go entirely unpunished.’ ”  Jeremiah 30:11 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the prophet Jeremiah and proclaimed to the people of Judah.  The Lord God wanted the people of Judah and Israel to know that the day is coming when He will bring them back from captivity to the land that He gave to their ancestors. (Jeremiah 30:1)  He said that He will break the yoke that has been on their necks and He will take off their bonds.  Then He said that no longer would foreigners enslave them. (Jeremiah 30:8)  He wanted to make it clear, however, that He would save them from captivity, but first He was going to punish them for their sins. 

APPLICATION

We need to understand that some of the bad times that we go through are the punishment for our previous sinful behavior and that we brought it upon ourselves.  The Lord God is still with us while we are being punished but He is allowing it to happen.  He said that He would never leave us or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5)  He is merciful, and He will not destroy us, but He will chastise and correct us appropriately according to our sins. (Proverbs 3:12 and Hebrews 12:6)  Our punishment is designed to change our future behavior.  Let us pray for His help, guidance, and direction so that when He restores us will do that which is right and just.  Better days are coming. (Psalm 30:5)

PROPHECY AGAINST FALSE PROPHETS

PROCLAMATION

“Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, ‘Listen, Hananiah!  The Lord has not sent you, yet you have persuaded this nation to trust in lies.  Therefore this is what The Lord says: “I am about to remove you from the face of the earth.  This very year you are going to die, because you have preached rebellion against The Lord.” ’ ”  Jeremiah 28:15-16 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the prophet Jeremiah and proclaimed to the people of Judah.  In chapter twenty-seventh of The Bible Book of Jeremiah, the prophet told the people that they would be attacked and overpowered by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.  He warned them that false prophets would tell them that no harm would come to them. (Jeremiah 27:9)  He told them not to listen to the false prophets and they should serve the king of Babylon after they are captured. (Jeremiah 27:9-17)  The false prophet Hananiah said that they would free them from captivity in Babylon in two years, instead of the seventy years prophesied by Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 28:2-4)  The Lord God told Jeremiah to make a yoke and put it on his neck and then go speak to the people. (Jeremiah 27:2)  Hananiah took this wooden yoke off of Jeremiah and broke it saying that was how The Lord was going to break Babylon. (Jeremiah 28:10-11)  Jeremiah told Hananiah that The Lord God said you have broken a wooden yoke, but I will put a yoke of iron on this nation and they will serve Nebuchadnezzar. (Jeremiah 28:13-14)  Then Jeremiah told Hananiah that he was going to die within the year because of the lies that he spoken to the people. (Jeremiah 28:15-16)

APPLICATION

Lying is bad, lying to the people of God is worse, but lying in the name of The Lord is much worse.  The Ten Commandments tell us not to lie, or “bear false witness” (Exodus 20:16), and not to use the name of The Lord God in vain. (Exodus 20:7)  Let us not be false prophets.  The Bible also tells us that it will be very bad for us if we cause a child of God to go astray. (Matthew 18:6, Mark 9:42, and Luke 17:2)  It would be better for us to say nothing at all than to lie.  One day we will be judged on every word that we speak. (Matthew 12:36)  Let us think before we speak and let us ask The Lord God to help us control our tongue so that we do not hurt or deceive others.

A PROPHET'S LIFE THREATENED

PROCLAMATION

“But as soon as Jeremiah finished telling all the people everything The Lord had commanded him to say, the priests, the prophets and all the people seized him and said, ‘You must die!’ ”  Jeremiah 26:8 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the prophet Jeremiah and proclaimed to the people of Judah.  In chapter twenty-five of The Bible Book of Jeremiah, the prophet told the people that again and again The Lord God had sent prophets to them who told them to turn from their evil practices of idol worship but they did not listen to them. (Jeremiah 25:3-7)  Because they did not listen to the words of The Lord, He was going to punish them and let the Babylonians take them into captivity for seventy years. (Jeremiah 25:8-11)  In the twenty-sixth chapter, Jeremiah repeated this prophesy in the courtyard of the temple.  When he had finished speaking, the priests, the false prophets, and the people who heard him, seized him, and threatened to kill him. (Jeremiah 26:1-15)  Jeremiah was willing to die for The Lord. (Jeremiah 26:14-15)  However, he was spared when some of the elders came forward and told the people that other prophets had spoken to them and their ancestors in the name of The Lord and they were not killed.  The elders said that killing Jeremiah would bring an even more terrible disaster on them. (Jeremiah 26:17-24)  The Lord made a way to save his life.

APPLICATION

There are times and places where a believer would place their life in danger if they made a positive public statement about The Lord God.  Believers know that The Lord God protects us from dangers seen and unseen.  However, we should be willing to give up our life for belief in Christ.  In fact, Jesus, The Christ, said that whoever shall lose his life for His sake shall save it. (Matthew 16:25, Mark 8:35, and Luke 9:24)  He also said that if we deny Him before men, in order to save our life, then we will lose because He will deny knowing us before our heavenly Father. (Matthew 10:33)  Remember, He died for us.  Christ said that greater love hath no man than to lay down his life for a friend, and He said that we are His friends if we keep His commands. (John 15:13-14)  The question is, do we love Him enough to die for Him?

WE HAVE EARS BUT WE WILL NOT LISTEN

PROCLAMATION

“If you do not listen, I will weep in secret because of your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly, overflowing with tears, because The Lord’s flock will be taken captive.”  Jeremiah 13:17 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the prophet Jeremiah and proclaimed to the people of Judah.  Chapter thirteen of The Bible Book of Jeremiah begins with The Lord God telling Jeremiah to buy a linen belt and wear it around his waist.  Then he was told to the bury it in a crevice in the rocks.  Many days later he was told to dig up the linen belt.  The belt was ruined and useless, and The Lord God told him so would be the pride of the people of Judah and Jerusalem who had refused to listen to Him. (Jeremiah 13:1-10)  Then The Lord God told him that He was going to fill all who live in the land with drunkenness and smash them one against another and destroy them. (Jeremiah 13:12-14) Jeremiah said that they would be destroyed and taken into captivity and that he would be weeping again. (Jeremiah 13:15-19)  This was going to happen to them, and they would be put to shame because of their many sins and their refusal to change. (Jeremiah 13:22-27)

APPLICATION

It has been said that The Lord God gave us two ears and one mouth for us to listen twice as often as we spoke.  Our problem is that although we have ears, we don’t listen to what we are told.  We have gone to church and heard the word of God preached many times, but we did not really listen to what was being said and we did not change our sinful ways.  The Bible is The Holy Word of God in which He speaks to us, but often we do not listen to Him.  One day we will pay for our arrogance.  All we can do now is ask Him to be forgiven and plead to Him for mercy. (Psalm 30:10, Psalm 123:3, and Isaiah 55:7)

OUR SINS AND PUNISHMENT

OUR SINS AND PUNISHMENT

PROCLAMATION

“The Lord said, ‘It is because they have forsaken My law, which I set before them; they have not obeyed Me or followed My law.  Instead, they have followed the stubbornness of their hearts; they have followed Baals, as their ancestors taught them.’ ”  Jeremiah 9:13-14 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the prophet Jeremiah and proclaimed to the people of Judah.  Chapter eight of The Bible Book of Jeremiah begins with The Lord God saying that He will have the bones of the kings, officials, priests, false prophets, and all of the people of Judah removed from their graves and exposed to the sun, moon, and stars which they worshiped. (Jeremiah 8:1-3)  He said that not only have they done wrong, but none of them have repented of their wickedness. (Jeremiah 8:6)  Their wives will be given to other men and their fields given to new owners. (Jeremiah 8:10)  They have no shame at all for that which they have done and therefore they must be punished. (Jeremiah 8:12)  Chapter nine begins with the prophet Jeremiah saying that he would weep all day and night for his people if he had sufficient tears. (Jeremiah 9:1-2)  The people have become great liars and they deceive and slander their friends. (Jeremiah 9:3-6)  Jeremiah said that he would not only weep for the people but also for the animals and the land which would also be destroyed. (Jeremiah 9:10)  The Lord God said that He would make them eat bitter food and He would scatter them among the nations and pursue them with the sword until they all were consumed. (Jeremiah 9:13-16)  

APPLICATION

Let not the wise boast of their wisdom, or the strong boast of their strength, or the rich boast of their riches for these can all be taken away.  Boast only of the understanding of The Lord God, and boast of His kindness, justice, and righteousness for that will please Him. (Jeremiah 9:23-24)  Be forewarned that the day is coming when The Lord God will punish all people, the Jews, and the Gentiles, for their sinful activities and for their uncircumcised heart. (Jeremiah 9:25-26)  Let us confess our sins and repent while there is still time. (1 John 1:9)

REFORM YOUR WAYS AND LIVE

REFORM YOUR WAYS AND LIVE

PROCLAMATION

“This is what The Lord Almighty, The God of Israel, says: ‘Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place.’ ”  Jeremiah 7:3 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the prophet Jeremiah and proclaimed to the people of Judah.  Jeremiah was told to stand at the gates of the temple and proclaim this message. (Jeremiah 7:1-2)  All those who entered the temple, which was filled with idols, were told to reform their ways and actions.  If they reformed, then The Lord God would let them live. (Jeremiah 7:3-7)  Going into The Lord’s temple and worshiping idols in there was detestable to Him. (Jeremiah 7:10-11 and 7:17-20)  He told them that He brought them out of Egypt and gave them commands to obey but they did not pay attention to Him.  They did even more evil than their ancestors. (Jeremiah 7:21-26)  Because of their idol worship and burning their children as sacrifices, He was going to destroy them. (Jeremiah 7:30-33)

APPLICATION

Today we need to understand that just going to the temple regularly will not save us.  If we continue to practice the same sinful activities, then we are still lost.  If we continue to ignore His Holy Word and disobey His commands, then we will also incur His wrath.  However, if we change our behavior and deal with each other justly, then He will let us live. (Jeremiah 7:5-7 and 2 Chronicles 7:14)

PROMISED BLESSINGS

PROCLAMATION

“This is what The Lord says: ‘Maintain justice and do what is right, for My salvation is close at hand and My righteousness will soon be revealed.  Blessed is the one who does this …’”  Isaiah 56:1-2 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the people of Israel through the prophet Isaiah.  The Lord God charged His people to keep His Holy Word, to be just, and to do that which is right.  He said blessed is he who does this and blessed is he who keeps the Sabbath. (Isaiah 56:1-2)  Foreigners who have accepted The Lord God and all those who serve Him will also be blessed. (Isaiah 56:3-7)  Then He blasts the weak and inadequate religious leaders and rulers of Israel. (Isaiah 56:9-11)

APPLICATION

Once we become believers it is expected that we will do that which is right.  We are to be fair and just with our fellowman.  All too often those who claim to be believers, and are regular church-going Christians, are committing gross injustices to some of God’s people.  In case you did not know it, some of the slave ship traders, and some of the slave owners, and some of those who lynched folk, bombed churches, and burned down communities were church-going Christians.  By allowing us to remain among the living, The Lord God still blesses all of us, the sun shines on all of us and the rain falls on all of us, the just and the unjust, the good and the evil. (Matthew 5:45)  However, we are not blessed because we are church-going people.  We are promised this conditional blessing for treating our brothers justly and for doing that which is right in the eyes of The Lord.  He is currently blessing us, and He has promised us additional special blessings if we would obey His Holy Word. (John 13:34 and 15:12)

KEEP SEPARATE FROM THAT WHICH IS UNGODLY

PROCLAMATION

“But now, our God, what can we say after this?  For we have forsaken the commands You gave through Your servants the prophets when You said: ‘The land you are entering to possess is a land polluted by the corruption of its peoples.  By their detestable practices they have filled it with their impurity from one end to the other.  Therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons…”  Ezra 10:10-12 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

Several months after the celebration and dedication of the temple, the Israelites celebrated the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days.  (Ezra 6:19-22)  Chapter seven of the Bible Book of Ezra contains the letter which King Artaxerxes wrote to Ezra, and his decree regarding the Israelites. (Ezra 7:26)  Chapter eight contains the names of the head of each family that was with Ezra. (Ezra 8:1-14)  It also includes the actions which Ezra took after he learned that there were no Levites there with him. (Ezra 8:15-36)  Sometime later on Ezra learned that the people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, had intermarried with the neighboring people who had once been their enemies.  He was very grieved by this.  He gathered the people together, and after much prayer, (Ezra 9:1-15) the men agreed to separate themselves from their foreign wives and any children from those marriages. (Ezra 10:1-17)  The second half of chapter ten of The Book of Ezra listed all of the men who had married foreign women. (Ezra 10:18-44)

APPLICATION

As believers we are not supposed to do all of the things that non-believers do.  Just because we can do it does not mean that we should do it.  It may not be illegal or immoral, but if it goes against The Word of God, then we should not do it.  Like Christ, we are in this world but not of it. (John 8:23)  We are to function in a Christ-like manner in this sin-sick world without taking on its sinful ways.  We are not to befriend or hang out with those individuals who consciously practice ungodly behavior. (Ephesians 5:11)  Only birds of the same feather will flock together. (Amos 3:3)  Let us fellowship one with another as part of the body of Christ. (1 John 1:7)

THE FALL OF JUDAH AND JERUSALEM

PROCLAMATION

“He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his successors until the kingdom of Persia came to power.”  2 Chronicles 36:20 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

After all the good that King Josiah accomplished, in the end he went to war without consulting The Lord.  When Necho king of Egypt attacked Carchemish on the Euphrates river, Josiah marched out to meet him in battle. (2 Chronicles 35:20)  Necho told Josiah that he had no quarrel with him, and that The Lord God was with him and that He had told him to do what he was doing.  However, Josiah ignored him and persisted in battle where he was shot by an archer and mortally wounded. (2 Chronicles 35:21-24)  The people made Jehoahaz son of Josiah king of Judah, but he only reigned for three months. (2 Chronicles 36:1-2)  The king of Egypt dethroned him and made his brother Eliakim king of Judah and Jerusalem.  He changed the kings name to Jehoiakim. (2 Chronicles 36:3-5)  Then Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked him and took him to bound in shackles to Babylon.  His son Jehoiachin succeeded him as king. (2 Chronicles 36:6-8)  Jehoiachin was king for three months before Nebuchadnezzar sent for him and replaced him with his uncle, Zedekiah, who did evil in the eyes of The Lord and led the people away from God. (2 Chronicles 36:9-14)  Zedekiah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar who then attacked them and killed all of their young men and women.  All of the people who were not killed were taken into captivity and they lived in exile in Babylon.  He raided the temple and the palace, taking everything of value, and then burned the temple and the palace. (2 Chronicles 36:13-20)  

APPLICATION

When we act without asking The Lord God if that which we plan to do is in His will, when we ignore what the man of God says for us to do, when we cause people to sin and go against The Word of God, we will be punished severely and pay a serious price for our actions.  When we as believers behave in an ungodly manner, we will not lose our salvation, but we will be punished for our misbehavior.  Our prayer requests for forgiveness does not cancel out our punishment,  our forgiveness restores our right fellowship with God.  So, pray, confess shortcomings, ask for guidance and direction, and be obedient to His Holy Word.

IT IS GOOD TO DO RIGHT BY THE LORD GOD

PROCLAMATION

“In everything that he undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly.  And so he prospered.”  2 Chronicles 31:21 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

When the unfaithful King Ahaz died, his son Hezekiah succeeded him as king of Judah. (2 Chronicles 28:27)  Hezekiah did that which was right in the eyes of The Lord God just as King David had done. (2 Chronicles 29:1-2)  He reopened the doors of the temple and repaired them.  Then he ordered the priests and the Levites to consecrate themselves and the temple, and to remove all of the defilement from the sanctuary. (2 Chronicles 29:3-5)  When this was done, he ordered them to offer a sacrifice of atonement. (2 Chronicles 29:20-36)  King Hezekiah then sent word to all of Judah and Israel, inviting them to celebrate the Passover in Jerusalem. (2 Chronicles 30:1-12)  A very large crowd gathered in Jerusalem and they celebrated the Passover for fourteen days.  There was great joy among the people for nothing like this had happened since the days of King Solomon. (Chronicles 30:13-27)  After the celebration, Hezekiah ordered that all of the monuments of idolatry throughout the land be destroyed. (2 Chronicles 31:1)  Then he assigned the priests and Levites to divisions in order to perform their duties throughout the country.  He then asked to people to give of their firstfruits to support the work of The Lord and he contributed from his own possessions. (2 Chronicles 31:2-6)  The response of the people was so great that they had to build new storerooms in the temple. (2 Chronicles 31:7-12)   

APPLICATION

We will all be known by that which we do.  Since we know that The Lord God is righteous, we should do that which is righteous, and we will be known as a child of God. (1 John 2:29)  If we love Him, then we should keep His commandments and obey His words. (John 14:15 and 14:21)  We should not only be hearers, readers, and speakers of The Word of God, but we should also be doers of His Holy Word. (James 1:22)  Our behavior and our lifestyle should also reflect our belief in The Lord God.  While none of us is perfect, we could all do better, and all of us should pray for a closer walk with The Lord.