July 26th One Year Bible Readings

2 Chronicles 17:1-18:34 ~ Romans 9:25-10:13 ~ Psalm 20:1-9 ~ Proverbs 20:2-3
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Old Testament - Today in 2 Chronicles 18, King Ahab of Israel is not happy about the Arameans occupying Ramoth-gilead!  Unfortunately for King Jehoshaphat of Judah, he entered into a political alliance with Ahab by having his son marry Ahab's daughter, Athaliah.  This basically bound him into going into battle with Ahab - but even worse, as we'll read in the coming day's readings, Ahab's daughter Athaliah nearly kills all of the descendants of David in Judah....  more on this sad drama is coming up in chapter 22.  A good location-profile of Ramoth-gilead is at this link.  Ramoth-gilead was on a hilltop that could have looked something like this first image below.  The 2nd image below is a map (look to the center-right):

King Jehoshaphat of Judah wisely suggests that they should consult God before going into battle against the Arameans.  At which time King Ahab of Israel trots out his 400 yes-men "prophets" who say they should definitely go to war and that they will be victorious!  I love Jehoshaphat's reaction to these 400 yes-men in verse 6 - "But Jehoshaphat asked, "Isn't there a prophet of the LORD around, too? I would like to ask him the same question.""  Ahab's reaction in verse 7 is quite telling...  "There is still one prophet of the LORD, but I hate him. He never prophesies anything but bad news for me! His name is Micaiah son of Imlah."  This verse really stands out for me in a big way in our world today.  I wonder if sometimes we - you and me - look for supposed "prophets" of the Lord that are yes-people to our particular likings - instead of looking for Truth.  Meaning...  and I'm just putting this out there, so bear with me.  Do we sometimes maybe even decide to attend a particular church because it tells us basically what we want to hear?  It keeps us in our comfortable place... we get yes-messages...  When, instead, should we be okay with attending a church that will give us some challenging and convicting messages on occasion?  Biblical messages mind you - which surely can be challenging to our modern ears at times.  I heard somewhere once before that church should be a place that "comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable."  I like that...  Now, don't get me wrong.  I am not saying we need to be in super-strict churches per se.  I just think we should really watch for churches that are giving a yes-message all the time to our particular likings verses churches that teach the Truth.  I don't think church is the only area of where we might default to looking for yes-messages.  I think this can happen in books we read, TV we watch, or even with friends or with work.   Are we listening to 400 yes-people in our lives or are we okay with 1 Micaiah coming in and sharing a perceived "bad-news" message?  (which may ultimately be very good news if we'll just listen to it...  if Ahab had really listened to Micaiah's message in today's readings, think he still would have rushed out to battle?) Below is an image of Micaiah and the false prophets before Jehoshaphat and Ahab -

New Testament - In Romans chapter 10 verse 1 today, Paul reminded me of the modern-day ministry called Jews for Jesus: "Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is that the Jewish people might be saved."  Paul was certainly a Jew for Jesus!  How about you - are you a Gentile for Jesus?  Or perhaps you are also a Jew for Jesus?  Whoever you are - are you for Jesus?

Below is a wonderful image courtesy of heartlight.org of Romans chapter 10 verse 4 from today's readings:

Without a doubt, Romans chapter 10 verses 9 & 10 are the most important verses some of us will read this year and really take to heart: "For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. "  Do you believe these verses to be true?  Have you prayed these verses with your heart and your mouth to God?  If not, will you today?

image courtesy of heartlight.org

Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Romans titled "Israel's Failure is the Scripture's Fulfillment" is at this link and "The Only Road to Righteousness" is at this link.

Psalms - Psalm 20 is a prayer for a king as he goes out into battle - check out verses 1 through 5 again and you can imagine a group of people saying these words to the king.  Maybe another way to read this Psalm, personally, is as a prayer for yourself as you go out into battle against a sin or a struggle in your life.  And this verse 5 then is for you as you go into this battle: "May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory, flying banners to honor our God. May the LORD answer all your prayers."  Amen! Let the banners fly soon in your life!

Proverbs - Proverbs chapter 20 verse 3 is such great wisdom: "Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling."  I once was a fool who insisted on quarreling with Tony back in about 3rd grade :) after either I beat him or he beat me in the 50 yard dash at Field Day.  Tony kept trying to avoid the fight with me.  But I kept on pressing it.  And I got whupped!  It was really a great learning experience for me.  I have avoided fights ever since!  Don't get me wrong.  I don't think we are called to be submissive and let people walk all over us.  I think we can confidently and strongly hold our ground on important issues - without fighting or quarrelling.  How about you?  Do you avoid fights?  Do you realize this is a mark of honor?  Or do you insist on quarrelling?  Think this is a good idea...?

YouTube: Based on our readings today in Romans, I think this clip below from the Logan Show of Aaron Shust performing "My Savior My God" serves well.  This is currently one of my favorite songs!

Do you know our savior God?  Click here for your Savior!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture this week: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28 (NIV)

Comments from You & Questions of the Day:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings?  Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless,
Mike

Comments

[John A.]

Romans 9:25-10:13

Romans 9: Israel Past

Israel had the advantages, and the opportunity through faith (trust in God), and when some ask is the promise to Israel void? Has God abandoned Israel?

Paul answers No. But at the end of Romans 9, He shows that the prophets knew it would not be all Israel.

25 As he says in Hosea:
"I will call them 'my people' who are not my people;
and I will call her 'my loved one' who is not my loved one,"[a] 26and,
"It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them,
'You are not my people,'
they will be called 'sons of the living God.' "

Hosea is talking about God putting aside Israel aside for a time, because of the people's rejection of God and worship of false gods. but in that very same place (Israel) in the future there will be revival, reconciliation, and redemption. It was true in the short term, and it will be true in the end times - but for who?

Isaiah says it will be the remnant, for God did not do perform justice on Israel - if He had they would all haqve been wiped out like Sodom and Gomorrah.

Some will become believers, but in the long run it will not be ALL. For it is not about bloodlines, nor circumcision, nor a parent's decision, but it is by faith that one is declared righteous.

[John A.]

Romans 9:25-10:13

Romans 10 is about Israel in the present.

Jesus, the idea of a God coming down as the kinsman-redeemer was a stumbling block to the Jews. Their finest minds could not fathom God coming down to earth as man - Yahweh would never do that! Their finest minds devised all kinds of "things" a Jew could do to please and serve God. But God is not interested in the acts of man, God wants belief in Him, a yearning for Him, and us to desire a relationship with Him.

That is why Jesus is a stumbling block to the Jew. Their perception of God did not allow for God's plan of imputed righteousness. A personal God of relationships was a foreign concept to these finest minds. Their idea of earning favor with God flies in the face of what Jesus meant and came for when He came to earth.
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Knowledge and Christ

The Jews were zealous for God. Paul is the prime example of that as before being saved, Paul chased, tortured and led many Christians to death. Paul was a Pharisee trained by one of the best Pharisees (Gilmiliel?). Paul had zeal, but not the true knowledge of God's plan.

But their zeal was not based on knowledge. I can have great zeal, sincerity, and belief that when jumping from the top of a fifty story building with no outside aids (parachute) I will land unhurt.

It is not true, but I could believe it. It would not be based on knowledge, but I may go to the top of the building with great zeal to make my jump.

Nothing is sadder to me than sharing the Gospel with someone who is truely caught up in a man-made religion. They may have great passion, great zeal, and sincere belief in their religion, but if it is not from God - what does their zeal get them in eternity?????
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10:9That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Two years ago someone posted that they found this hard to believe. The reason? He knew many people who had said "the prayer" and he believed they were not truly Christians.

First, the poster can not make that statement. To make that statement is playing God, and saying you know the condition of a person's heart when they say "the prayer" is not a good idea.

It is the basis of "judge not, lest you be judged". We are not to put ourselves into the role of God. the Greek word for Judge is krinos, and it means the judgement that God makes. If someone says they are a Christian we are to take them at their word. If their fruits and later words concern us - we should pray for them, but not judge their status as a believer.

Secondly, "the prayer" does not guarantee salvation. The biggest word in that verse of Scripture is "AND". Confess AND BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART. Saying a prayer does not save, but saying a prayer and believing in your heart does save, and gives all the assurances Paul was talking about in previous chapters.

In the OT God said the rituals and sacrifices fo the Jews were a stench to His nostrils, when they were not done with a heart for God. When you turn back to God, repent and confess Christ as your Lord and Savior with the right heart - a heart for God - then you are saved.
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13for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Does this contradict verse 9. No. The Greek word for "call" is epikaleō, meaning "to call upon by way of adoration, making use of the Name of the Lord," By adoration trhat is with the right heart.

Calling on the name of the Lord? Jesus translated "Jehova is Salvation". There is no other way to Salvation, but through Jehova.

So if you call on Jesus with adoration knowing that He is the Lord and the redeemer - you are confessing with your tongue and believing in your heart - hence, no contradiction.

[John A.]

2 Chronicles 17-18:34

17 VERSES 5-6

1. "In these verses we see the difference between Solomon and Jehoshaphat. They both had riches, they both prospered and were honored. Solomon focused on the riches, the prosperity, while Jehoshaphat focused on the Lord. That is where he found joy and peace, in the ways of the Lord. Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." Jesus is saying that our focus must be on Him, and not to focus on the material things, He will supply our needs."

VERSES 7-9

1. "Jehoshaphat not only removed the idolatry from the land, which was important to do, but he also recognized that man does not live in a vacuum, and if you remove something from a persons life, you have to replace it with something else or they will return to their old ways, maybe even worse than before. So as he removes the false worship he replaces it with the true worship of God. They were in bondage but now they have been set free from that bondage. As Jesus said in John 8:31-32 "...'If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.'"

2. Also, Jehoshaphat does not just remove the false and tell the people to get right. He is also leading them in the ways they should go. And the result of that is seen in verses 10 and 11, as fruit is born in their lives."

VERSES 10-11

1. "Here me out on this point. For me, I am not into Jesus parades and programs as such. There is nothing wrong with them, I just don't feel that is what God wants from me. I think a bigger impact can be made in peoples lives as the idolatry is removed and replaced with the Word of God. The result is that the unsaved will take notice. Why? Not because you have plastered signs all over the place but because your life has impacted others. You have touched others for Christ by what you say and what you do. If all you do is talk about Christ and yet your life does not reflect that relationship, your words are meaningless. As one man put it, and I am paraphrasing, "Be a witness of Christ, and if need be, use words." Let your life reflect that relationship you have with the Lord and that will make a bigger difference in their lives than all you have to say. Let your walk match your talk!

2. Jehoshaphat enjoyed times of peace and prosperity. Even the Philistines, who were a constant thorn in the side of Israel, were subdued during this time. And this all happened not through physical wars, but as the people surrendered their lives to God and then "the fear of the LORD fell on all the kingdoms of the lands that were around Jerusalem."
http://www.ccmanitowoc.org/Library/Guglielmo-Joe/Studies/TH/14-2CH/TH1061.HTM

[John A.]

2 Chronicles 17-18:34

VERSE 1

1. To me this is one of those really confusing alliances, and maybe one of the strangest in the whole Bible. Jehoshaphat, who was a godly king, teams up with Ahab who was one of Israel's most wicked kings. In fact Jehoshaphat not only teams up with Ahab, but he allows his son Jehoram to marry the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, the DEMONIC DUO of the Old Testament. Her name was Athaliah, and she too was just as wicked as her parents and she almost wipes out the lineage of David.

2. The only reason I can come up with why Jehoshaphat would do this is that he was trying to heal the wounds between the two kingdoms. But just as oil and water don't mix, neither does good and evil. And you never sacrifice truth and righteousness for the sake of unity!

VERSE 2

1. Because their children were married to each other, these two kings were now related by marriage and they would fellowship together from time to time. As Jehoshaphat goes to visit Ahab, the king of Israel requests the help of Jehoshaphat in regaining Ramoth Gilead back from the Syrians.

VERSES 18-22

1. "Now some people have great difficulty with this passage. They can't understand how a holy and righteous God can send forth a lying spirit. First of all we have to understand that Satan and his demons, which are nothing more than fallen angels, still have access to heaven. We think they are in Hell, but that is totally wrong. And I guess that destroys those faith teachers that say Jesus was in Hell 3 days and 3 nights being tortured by Satan, for Satan is not bound nor is his domain in Hell. In Job 1:6 we read "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them." Now there is coming a day when they will be cast from heaven but that has not taken place as yet. It is not till the midpoint of the tribulation period that Satan and his demons no longer have access to God, they can no longer come before Him. In Revelation 12:7-9 we read "And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."

2. God gives all of us a choice, thus, if you reject the truth you open yourself up to receive a lie, just as Ahab did. Ahab heard the truth, but he rejected it, and because of that he opened himself up to be deceived by the enemy.

VERSES 33-34

1. This tells me that nothing happens by chance, but all is ordained by God. This archer lets his arrow fly, not trying for any target in particular, and it strikes Ahab between his armor with a mortal wound. You see, you can't escape the judgment of God no matter how hard you try. Many, like Ahab, pretend to be something they are not. Ahab dressed as a soldier, and many today dress like Christians, and outwardly they look good. But inwardly their heart is far from the Lord. You may fool others with your disguise, but you can't fool God and you can't escape His judgment. If you have not accepted the free gift of God through His Son Jesus Christ, then it doesn't matter how good you look, you are lost in your sins."

[John A.]

2 Chronicles 17-18:34

I am attempting to comment personally on NT. With the OT readings, I am trying to find informative and good commentary which I quote and provide a link for on this blog. I am doing this because no commentary is provided for these OT passages in Mike's blog.
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That being said I want to address Micaiah's vision of the lying spirit.

1) It is a vision, so it is representative of what happened - so that we know the source of the false prophecies.

2) Hell (Gehenna) is not open for business. Satan and his demons are on earth, and they have access to heaven. Probably the "host" on the left, as the right was a place of favor.

3) God is not asking for advice, He is asking 'who will go'. The Hebrew says "the spirit" not "a spirit" - it is probably Satan.

4) God knows how Satan will entice Ahab. He is asking so that the manner will be illuminated in Scripture.

5) God does not command lying, he condones the lying spirit (allowing satan to be satan), but He allows it as it serves His purpose and plan.

6) Ahab opens himself up for this, by following idols and false prophets. God is allowing him to follow the lie and not the "truth" as Ahab is predisposed to do in his heart.

[John A.]

OOPS!

5) God does not command lying, he condones the lying spirit (allowing satan to be satan), but He allows it as it serves His purpose and plan.

Correction in above God does not command nor condone, He allows.

Sorry!