Tag: rebellion

In which the rebellious children of Israel sin against God, and receive instruction as a result.

*2 Kings 17-18

Psalm 68

2 Corinthians 10

-Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

            In the beginning of today’s reading we are in an extremely tumultuous time in the history of Israel.  The kingdoms of Israel and Judah have split apart from each other and throughout the books of Kings they give a recounting of each nation separately.  Starting out today in 2 Kings 17, we begin in the nation of Israel, and in verse 6 we see that “the king of Assyria captured Samaria and took Israel away into exile”.  I’m sure some of the people back then were asking the age old question, “why would God let something like this happen?!”.  Well, as we read on, we’re told exactly why, and if we’re being honest we can probably apply that same answer to when this question is asked even now.

            In 2Ki 17: 7-18, it explains: “Now this happened because the sons of Israel had sinned against Yahweh their God (v7)…And the sons of Israel did things secretly which were not right against Yahweh their God (v9)…and they did evil things provoking Yahweh to anger (v10b)…So Yahweh was very angry with Israel and caused them to depart from His presence…(v18a)” (The LSB translation is used throughout this devotional, unless otherwise noted).  In between the lines of the above, scriptures give a pretty long laundry list of their offenses as well, including some pretty pronounced idolatry (which you may recall as being the first of the “Thou shalt not”s listed in Exodus 20, so… probably a pretty big deal).  They forsook the commandments of Yahweh (v16), sacrificed their children to other gods (passed through the fire refers to human sacrifice to a specific pagan god), and practiced sorcery (v17), among other things.

            Can you imagine the pain, as a Father, of your children acting in this manner towards you?  Especially considering that He had done so much for them, and saved them miraculously from their oppression in Egypt, feeding and caring for them as they went, performing miracles and signs and wonders.  Over and over.  I can imagine it, I’m a father now.  I was also that wicked, rebellious child who acted the same way towards my own father when I was younger.  I’m sorry Dad, and I’m sorry Father God.  My dad was a rock, he was faithful and true even when I wasn’t, and kept on loving me.  Just like my heavenly Father.  What can I say, words alone cannot express my sorrow or regret.  I hang my head in shame and weep, I repent of my foolishness; but just like my dad, my heavenly Father came running towards me when I began to come home.  It is heartbreakingly humbling, and still brings me to tears.

            All of this rebellion was in spite of the fact that our loving Father, the most merciful, the most gracious, continued to reach out to his children Israel.  In 2Ki 17:13-15 we see that even though Israel continued to be wicked and rebellious toward Yahweh God, He continues to reach out to them and warn them”by the hand of all of His prophets and every seer, saying “Turn from your evil ways and keep My commandments…“”, “However, they did not listen, but stiffened their neck like their fathers, who did not believe in Yahweh their God…”.  How much foolishness can be tolerated, though?  We see in v18 God has finally had enough, and “kicks them out of the house” essentially. 

            In 2Ki 17: 24-28 there’s a great little sub-plot to the main story. When God kicks the Israelites out, the king of assyria moves some new tenants in.  I absolutely love the very tongue-in-cheek start of v25: “Now it happened at the beginning of their settlement there, that they did not fear Yahweh…” (LSB), and then, lions.  Eventually an Israelite priest was sent back to teach the new residents “how they should fear Yahweh“(v28b) but the lions had already given them a pretty good start, it sounds like.  God is holy, and  freely (and sometimes painfully) offers instruction to His children when they forget Him.  I like the phrasing of Ps 50:22 on this topic, it’s (not) subtle.

Meanwhile, back in the nation of Judah…A king is born who pleases God

            Enter Hezekiah, king of Judah, who “did what was right in the sight of Yahweh” (2Ki 18:3).  It goes on in the reading to list some of the good that he did, including a very interesting note in v4b, “…And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel were burning incense to it: and it was called Nehushtan“.  Wait, what?!  Stop for a moment and go read Nu 21: 4-9, it’s one of those little sub plots that passes by so quick that if you’re not paying attention, you’ll miss it entirely.  Then read that (2Ki 18:4) again.

            Here’s what to extrapolate from this: anything can become an idol to us, if we let it.  The bronze snake which once was a tool for salvation to the Israelites became an idol, an implement of destruction instead which led many astray.  I’m sure it even seemed right at the time.  Shema (Listen up, pay attention), ecclesia (church)!  Our prayers, our rituals, our practices, our doctrines, our holy days, our fasts, our scriptural readings, even the things which may have once saved us, all of these things are just tools to help us attain our true purpose: the unconditional and overwhelming love towards the Father that He deserves.   Use the tools you have to fulfill your purpose, but do not let them become the purpose.

            Here are some phrases that are used to describe Hezekiah: “He trusted in Yahweh…(v5), So he clung to Yahweh; he did not turn away from following Him, but kept His commandments…(v6), And Yahweh was with him…(v7)”.  This trust and seeking after God is what saves him, coming up in the next chapter, because God loves him back.  If you read 2Ki 18:13-37 you can see the situation setting itself up.  I don’t want to give any spoiler alerts from tomorrow’s reading, but in the next chapter is one of the most beautiful and humble prayers in the Bible (2Ki 19:15-19) and (spoiler alert) God saves him, and (spoiler alert) again in the next chapter.  The reason that God intervenes on his behalf is because he trusted in God.  He clung to God.  He didn’t turn away, but kept the commandments of God.  This is the description of a man trying to love God with his whole heart, as stated in Deut 6:4-5 and quoted in Matt 12:29-32 as the primary of all the commandments.

            We have one job: to love the Father with everything we’ve got.  When we do this, and understand, then we will also love our neighbor (our fellow creation) as ourself.  Everything else will follow.  We will trust Him.  We will cling to Him.  We will follow and obey Him.  If the things that you are doing are helping you to achieve that goal, God is good, give glory to God! If not, consider your ways and where they are leading.  We often in our arrogance and pride remove God from throne of our heart and sit there in His place.  That’s not your spot (as I often tell my giant dogs when they try to sit on the couch).  He has shown you, O man, what is good… (Mic 6:8).  He has “spread out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, Who walk in the way which is not good, following their own thoughts” (Is 65:2).  Isn’t it time, like a small child wanting to be held, to hold out our hands toward our Father, and cling to Him?

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

What are some practical steps we can take to trust God more, and ourselves less?

What things can we do differently to please our Father?

Is there an idol in your heart that you have clung to?

If yes to the above, what is it, and why have you kept clinging to it?

PRAYER

Father God, please forgive me for my many shortcomings.  Help to trust in You completely, to cling to You above all else, and to model the love that You have shown me to all of Your creation in order to honor You.  May the lips of all of Your creation offer You the praise You deserve.  Please instruct me, discipline me when I err, and guide me along the path that leads to Your kingdom.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.   

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Jonah Ran

Old Testament: Jonah 1

Poetry: Proverbs 30

New Testament: Luke 11:1-13

(You will notice we are not done with 2 Kings yet, but we are taking a pause to add in the book of Jonah at this point. Through the rest of 2nd Kings and 1st and 2nd Chronicles we will be inserting the 17 books of prophecy and the rest of the books of history – Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther – in a chronological fashion. However, when we start a book of prophecy we will read the whole book even though the events might span a good chunk of history throughout Kings/Chronicles. Thank you to Robert Jones of Atlanta Bible College for his help in ordering these books amongst the Kings and Chronicles.)

The story of Jonah is one of the most well-known stories in the Bible. However, the book of Jonah is one of the least read books in the Bible! Let this devotion serve as a challenge to read this book with fresh eyes this week.

Jonah is perhaps the most unique prophet in the Bible. Isaiah, Daniel, Elijah, and so many others serve as intensely righteous men who carry about the Lord’s message with great zeal. Habakkuk shows shocking honesty and transparency in his prayer life. Amos shows us that the most humble people– yes, even the shepherds– are called into ministry of some kind. But what about Jonah?

Jonah shows that rebellious streak that runs within all of us at some time or another. God has called him to preach to the city of Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, and Jonah does not listen. It’s understandable; Nineveh is nearly 700 miles away from Jerusalem. That would take well over a month to travel there in his time! But wait– Jonah doesn’t just say no to God. He actually runs away in the opposite direction!

So Jonah runs away and God lets him know that there’s no running from God. In fact, throughout Jonah’s refusal to minister to the Assyrians, it still brings glory to God. The sailors he’s traveling with tremble with fear when they discover who Jonah’s God is. Notice that, in 1:11, the sailors want to please Jonah’s God, and instead of saying, “Let’s turn this ship around and head to Nineveh,” he says, “Just throw me overboard.”

But God wasn’t done with Jonah. Jonah’s saved. But more importantly, Jonah experiences a spiritual reckoning: (Sneak peak into tomorrow’s reading of Chapter 2…) Jonah has a moment of complete clarity and offers up a remorseful, prayerful praise to God. He recognizes that God is the one in control (2:3). And he recognizes that salvation comes only from the LORD.

So here are a few questions for us to consider in all this:

Do we listen for God’s voice like Jonah does? 

Do we reject God’s call like Jonah did? Probably more than we realize.

Do we expect God to call us to the “Nineveh” of our lives?

Do we learn from our mistakes like Jonah did, and pray about it? 

Will Jonah learn from these events, and change his ways? We’ll have to find out this week.

-Levi Salyers

(originally posted for SeekGrowLove December 15, 2021)

ONE MORE QUESTION to add to those above…

What do we learn from the sailors in Jonah 1?

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Rebellion, Discipline, and Obedience

Old Testament: Isaiah Introduction (See Below)

Poetry: Psalm 58

New Testament: Hebrews 3

After several years of teaching, I recently had the opportunity to stay home with my two kids. My oldest is three, and he has a mind of his own. Much of my day is spent doing fun things, like playing outside, reading books, and building Lego towers. But, with a toddler, there are always going to be times of correction. Discipline now is necessary for a happy, healthy, well-adjusted human later on. But disciplining through rebellion has its share of tears, tantrums, and yelling of “No.” 

Today, we read about a similar situation of discipline. There are two choices we have in life. We can choose to be obedient to God, submitting to his word, or we can choose to pursue our own desires, rejecting God’s word. One path is the path of righteousness and life. The other is the path of sin and death. In Psalm 58, we read about the harsh judgment reserved for those who are not righteous. In verse 10, “The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance; he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked. Mankind will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth.” 

As Hebrews 3:7-8 says, “There as the Holy Spirit says, ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion on the day of testing in the wilderness.’ We must take care of the condition of our hearts. If our heart is soft to God’s leading, we will listen in obedience to what he says, and we will do it. However, if our heart is hard, we will be more likely to reject God’s commands. 

How do we know the condition of our heart? It’s important to look at our actions. If what we do is lined up to God’s word, then we have a heart to listen to what he says and follow it. I’ve heard it described as a plumb line that we use to measure up our actions. If we are out of line, God’s word will call us out. 

What does a hard heart look like? If you notice that your actions are consistently not matching up with godly living as described in the Bible, that is a good indication that you have hardened your heart to his teaching. You are living in rebellion. Those words seem harsh, but they line up with the way that Hebrews describe them. If you consistently read that you should do something but you don’t, you are not living righteously. Just like the notifications on your phone, you swipe out of and never look at or the alarm you press snooze on, you are desensitizing yourself to the effects of sin. You’ve become “an evil, unbelieving heart” that is “hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (v. 12-13). 

We need to encourage each other to pursue a righteous life of obedience. That is what we are called to do. 

~Cayce Fletcher

***You can find more of Cayce’s writing at www.amorebeautifullifecollective.com.***

Isaiah Introduction

The book of Isaiah was written by the prophet Isaiah to the southern tribe of Judah at a time when the Assyrian empire threatened Judah’s destruction.  The name Isaiah means “the Lord saves”.  Isaiah is quoted in the New Testament more than any other Old Testament prophet.

While Isaiah predicted that Judah would eventually be defeated because of their sins; he also predicted a message of hope – the coming messiah (a suffering servant), would come to establish the Kingdom of God on the earth.

Some have suggested that the first 39 chapters of Isaiah focus on doom and gloom, similar to the 39 books of the Old Testament; while the 27 last chapters (40 – 66) of Isaiah focus on hope and restoration, similar to the 27 books of the New Testament.

There are many prophecies in Isaiah about the “last days”, the “Day of the Lord”, the promised messiah (Jesus), God’s suffering servant (also Jesus), conditions in the millennium, and the coming Kingdom of God.

One of my favorite verses is Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

–Steve

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  1. Have you walked through a season of rebellion? What was the outcome?
  2. What is the importance of obedience?
  3. What is the current status of your heart? How do you know?

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A Father and His Child

Hosea 11

Friday, November 4, 2022

I was touched by the beautiful imagery of the LORD calling to Israel as a child. Teaching him to walk and taking him into His arms. Here the LORD is also leading with kindness and bonded to His people in love. And I can just imagine a compassionate care taker releasing an animal from its burden-taking off the bridle and bit to allow the animal to freely eat and drink. The love and compassion of God are so evident in these passages. But Israel’s obstinance is also evident. These collections of poetry are calling out again to the people. Turn to God, do what is right and be saved. God desires for people to come to Him to be healed, forgiven and saved, but as we have seen over and over, the people continued to reject Him.

We are told what the result is, “Because there is no faithfulness or kindness or knowledge of God in the land. There is swearing, deception, murder, stealing and adultery. They employ violence, so that bloodshed follows bloodshed. Therefore, the land mourns, and everyone who lives in it languishes (4:1-3a)”. It is disturbing that this scripture could be describing parts of our own country today. But the poetic words of the prophet Hosea still speak through this book. Telling us about the LORD’S perfect character and His justice. We still hear a main theme of not rejecting, but accepting and remaining faithful to our God. How horrible to become stubborn and self-willed against the Only True Living God. That is a place that we never want to occupy. Unfortunately, I know that we could name some individuals who have turned away and have chosen lives that are in complete opposition to God. But we want to be those that faithfully hold to God. Hosea 14 describes it this way, “Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; Whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are right, and the righteous will walk in them, but transgressors will stumble in them (v.9)”. Hosea explains that someday the sons of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God; they will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness. It is incredible that we can know, walk with, and most of all be in a loving relationship with Him right now.

-Rebecca Dauksas

Reflection Questions

  1. How is your nation like Israel? How are they different from Israel? How are you like Israel? How are you different from Israel?
  2. How would you describe God as a parent?
  3. How will you respond as His child? When have you been rebelled against Him? What is His desire for You?
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Running from the Lord

Jonah 1-2

The story of Jonah is one of the most well-known stories in the Bible. However, the book of Jonah is one of the least read books in the Bible! Let this devotion serve as a challenge to read this book with fresh eyes this week.

Jonah is perhaps the most unique prophet in the Bible. Isaiah, Daniel, Elijah, and so many others serve as intensely righteous men who carry about the Lord’s message with great zeal. Habakkuk shows shocking honesty and transparency in his prayer life. Amos, as we just read, shows us that the most humble people– yes, even the shepherds– are called into ministry of some kind. But what about Jonah?

Jonah shows that rebellious streak that runs within all of us at some time or another. God has called him to preach to the city of Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, and Jonah does not listen. It’s understandable; Nineveh is nearly 700 miles away from Jerusalem. That would take well over a month to travel there in his time! But wait– Jonah doesn’t just say no to God. He actually runs away in the opposite direction!

So Jonah runs away and God lets him know that there’s no running from God. In fact, throughout Jonah’s refusal to minister to the Assyrians, it still brings glory to God. The sailors he’s traveling with tremble with fear when they discover who Jonah’s God is. Notice that, in 1:11, the sailors want to please Jonah’s God, and instead of saying, “Let’s turn this ship around and head to Nineveh,” he says, “Just throw me overboard.”

But God wasn’t done with Jonah. Jonah’s saved. But more importantly, Jonah experiences a spiritual reckoning: Jonah has a moment of complete clarity and offers up a remorseful, prayerful praise to God. He recognizes that God is the one in control (2:3). And he recognizes that salvation comes only from the LORD.

So here are a few questions for us to consider in all this:

Do we listen for God’s voice like Jonah does? 

Do we reject God’s call like Jonah did? Probably more than we realize.

Do we expect God to call us to the “Nineveh” of our lives?

Do we learn from our mistakes like Jonah did, and pray about it? 

Will Jonah learn from these events, and change his ways? We’ll have to find out tomorrow.

-Levi Salyers

Read or listen to today’s Bible reading plan passages at BibleGateway.com here – Jonah 1-2 and Revelation 6

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Numbers 19-20, Psalm 51-52

Moses and the Israelites’ wilderness wanderings continue on in Numbers 19-20. In previous chapters as we’ve seen, God faithfully shows up for Moses, choosing him and the Levites as the priesthood to be the leaders and go-betweens between God and the Israelite people. In Numbers 20, Moses has to deal with the Israelites’ rebellious spirit again. They came fighting against Moses saying, “If only we had perished when our brothers perished before the Lord. Why have you brought the Lord’s assembly into this wilderness for us and our livestock to die here? Why have you led us up from Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It’s not a place of grain, figs, vines, and pomegranates, and there is no water to drink!” (Numb. 20:3-5).

Even though God continued to provide for the Israelites time and time again, the Israelites had yet to learn to trust in him. They questioned God’s purpose for them and even stated that they wished they had died with the Israelites who had been killed in the plague after Korah’s rebellion. One rebellion had just been resolved with the blossoming of Aaron’s branch, but the people were again questioning Moses’ leadership because of their circumstances in the wilderness. 

Moses responds as he normally does – by falling face down before God to beg God for help. God responds to Moses and Aaron and gives them specific instructions to follow: take your staff and speak to a rock. Then, water will flow out. However, Moses, heated in the moment, rashly gathers the assembly and says to them, “Listen, you rebels! Must we bring water out of this rock for you?” Then, he struck the rock twice and water gushed out (Numb. 20:9-11). In this pivotal moment of Moses’ leadership, he does not respond with level-headed humility. Instead, he responds rebelliously towards God because of his frustration with the people. By forcefully striking the rock and saying that it was him – Moses – who brought the water out, he took the glory away from God and placed it on himself. Moses decided that he was going to be the one to save the Israelites, and he forcefully showed them what he could do. 

I totally can identify and sympathize with Moses in this moment. He loved God. He loved the people. And, he truly wanted what was best for the people. But, he got frustrated. He was tired and probably thirsty. He was overwhelmed. Because of this, he made a mistake with dire consequences; he would not lead the people into the promised land. He got caught up in the feelings of the moment, the seeming impossibility of shepherding the Israelite people into a trusting, righteous way of living and into the promised land. When he looked at his situation, he may have felt trapped, may have felt hopeless, or may have just felt mad. The one thing he forgot to do was to view those feelings in light of the character of God. He forgot to trust in who God was – to remember that despite what the Israelites were saying, God was always in Moses’ corner. 

We all have times where the circumstances we are in cause us to be blinded by the feelings we have. We may feel stuck, tired, hopeless, mad. Maybe we feel like we just want to hit something. Or we just want to give up. But remember – God is in our corner. When we face those difficult times, we can trust that he will always come through. 

~ Cayce Fletcher

Read or listen to today’s Bible reading at Biblegateway.com: Job 1-2 and 2 Corinthians 2 .

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Which Type of Son are You? (II Samuel 14-15)

Saturday, October 21

psalm-139-17-pic

Nathaniel Johnson

Let’s quickly take a look and see a parallel story in the parable of the lost son. In Luke 15, starting in verse 11, Jesus starts to tell the story of a son who took his inheritance and squandered it in reckless living. This son is a lot like King David’s son, Absalom. We know from Jesus’ parable that there are two types of sons. The first is like the lost son, the son who ran away and made his father worry. The other son was the one who stayed with his father. He did everything right; he worked hard for his father and followed the rules. But when his brother came home and his dad accepted him with loving arms, he resented his brother in his heart. Sometimes we can be like the first son. We openly rebel against God and choose not to listen to him. And sometimes we can be like the second son. We try our best to follow all the rules but we still end up sinning in our hearts. The bad news is, all of us fall into one camp or the other (Romans 3:23). The good news is “God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from Him” (2 Samuel 14:14). How great is that? Maybe you feel like you’ve been running away from God for a while now. You keep trying to find your way back but you seem to stumble all the way. Relax, God is pursuing you right now. He is coming up with ways to get you back onto his path and working you into his plan. God doesn’t want to stay separated from you.

REMEMBER What HE Has DONE (Deuteronomy 1-2)

Monday, September 12
joseph-mon

By Joseph Partain

Deuteronomy is one of my favorite books in the Bible. It contains commands of God that are as timeless as the earth and challenges us with making decisions to serve God and enjoy life and prosperity. The word Deuteronomy means repetition of the law and so the chapters will serve as a reminder of some of the books you’ve read to this point. This book is quoted often by Jesus and other notable figures in the Bible.

Chapter 1 starts with Moses remembering what God has done for the Israelites. This is a common theme of God – remember what he has done and use those encounters as teaching tools for the next generation and motivation that God is always with you. Along with God’s blessings, Moses recounts the rebellion of the Israelites as well as being honest about his own rebellion and what that cost him (not being able to enter the promised land).  Joshua and Caleb knew that God was in the lead and others including Moses tried to lead and wound up wandering.

Chapter 2 recounts God’s leading his people even after their rebellion. He was very detailed about how long they would camp at any one spot, who they should engage and who to leave alone. Most of these people the Israelites encountered were relatives that God had made promises to earlier. God’s word will be performed as is said in Jeremiah 1:12 and God reminds them that after their wandering, they too will enjoy the land of promise. Verses 31 and 32 are great and speak to God starting to win battles for his people before they are aware and then delivering them if they obey. Deuteronomy is big on obedience and we would be wise to study God’s words and do what it says.