He Held Fast To The Lord

He Held Fast To The Lord 

II Kings 18:5-8 NKJV

[5] He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him. [6] For he held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses. [7] The Lord was with him; he prospered wherever he went. And he rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. [8] He subdued the Philistines, as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city.

To hold fast is described as a metaphor to  “be diligent,” “cling to,” or “take a firm grasp of.” It is based on the idea of gripping tightly to an object". It is reported that "hold fast" appears first in Deuteronomy 10:20: “Fear the LORD your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name.”  The phrase is also found in Deut. 11:22, as part of the condtional blessings of the Lord. The prase means , ".. to firmly cling to God's teachings and remain steadfast in.. faith, refusing to let go even during difficult times; it signifies a strong, unwavering commitment to God and his word, staying focused on him despite challenges or temptations that may arise". Think of this phrase as it relates to Hezekiah.

    Holding fast invovles:

 1.Active commitment:

It's not just a passive belief, but a conscious choice to actively follow God's guidance and live according to his principles. 

2. Resilience in trials:

Holding fast implies enduring through hardships and not abandoning your faith when faced with adversity. 

3. Focus on scripture:

Studying and applying the Bible is a key way to "hold fast" to the Lord, as it provides the foundation for ones faith. 

    Phil.2:16 is one of the New testament admonitions to hold fast the word of truth as a guiding light in life.Thats what Hezekiah did in his days. What are you holding unto in this age where people are craving for what is reigning and happening? One day in our city, a young man arrived with a bunch of young men and women for a  supposed crusade and teachings in the city. It was after he left, that the orgy of his visitation was opened. Hezekiah refused to be that kind. He held fast when several had to let go. No wonder God prospered him.

  In Joshua 22:5, God restates His interest in the phrase, "...walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul”. Hezekiah got it right, so will you today, in Jesus Name. Amen. Good morning.

They Feared The Lord, Yet Served Imagesn

They Feared the Lord, Yet Served Their Images 

II Kings 17:41 NKJV

[41] So these nations feared the Lord, yet served their carved images; also their children and their children’s children have continued doing as their fathers did, even to this day.

Its a dreadful read of several chapters up to this point. The read could simply be summarized that the Kings reigned in Judah and Israel, but they feared not the Lord. They did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hands of their enemies. This must have been the darkest and the murkiest part of Israel's history. 

   For today's read, they only feared the Lord, but they served carved images. The Bible says that idolatry is a sin and that people should not worship idols. The Bible also says that idols are worthless and lifeless objects that delude people. Here are God's warnings against idolatry: 

Exodus 20:4-5: God commands people not to make idols, worship them, or serve them. 

1 John 5:21: People should keep themselves from idols. 

Romans 1:21-23: Idolatry is a fundamental sin. 

Galatians 5:19-21: Idolaters engage in works of the flesh, such as sexual immorality, impurity, and sensuality. 

Psalm 115:4-8: Idols are worthless and lifeless objects. 

Isaiah 44:9-20: Idols delude people into compulsive folly. 

1 Corinthians 10:14: People should flee from idolatry. 

Colossians 3:5: Greed, which is idolatry, should be put to death. 

Jonah 2:8: People who cling to worthless idols turn away from God's love. 

Hebrews 13:5: People should not make idols for themselves. 

The Bible also says that God is jealous and will punish those who worship other gods. 

 1 Corinthians 10:7." Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and and rose up to play.” 

   Are you as conflicted as these people were? Do you serve God in sincerity? May your testimony not be that you feared what God can do, yet you serve evil, in Jesus Name. Good morning.

The Defeat Of Amaziah And Judah

The Defeat Of Amaziah And Judah 

II Kings 14:11-14 NKJV

[11] But Amaziah would not heed. Therefore Jehoash king of Israel went out; so he and Amaziah king of Judah faced one another at Beth Shemesh, which belongs to Judah. [12] And Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled to his tent. [13] Then Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash, the son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh; and he went to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate—four hundred cubits. [14] And he took all the gold and silver, all the articles that were found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s house, and hostages, and returned to Samaria.

In this battle at Bethshemesh, " Amaziah had a mighty army and Jehoash had a weak army. Yet God gave Israel the victory over Judah to rebuke the idolatry of Amaziah. It came from God, that He might give them into the hand of their enemies, because they sought the gods of Edom. (2Ch 25:20)"( Guzik ). You don't accredit what God has done to the gods made by human hands. 

    Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, and broke down the defences of Judah. This is another report from Guzik." Because of his foolish attack against Israel, Amaziah lost the treasure of the people of God. It wasn’t just a loss of his personal wealth (the treasuries of the king’s house), but also of the gold and silver of God’s people. Amaziah didn’t have the wisdom to see how losing this battle would hurt others as well as himself". For a long time Amaziah lost his freedom, but Israel refused to occupy Judah. They had the ability. We will find out someday why they didn't. Was it just God protecting his heritage? Or was it that they understood that they are related? They could have colonized them. Think on it.

   The story of both kings ended in the records being kept. We are reading this today because of the records. Be careful, there are records being kept of our daily lives. May the reading of our records not make us look foolish in the daily decisions we are taking now. I pray that together we will take decisions that will glorify the Lord. Good morning.

The Parable Of The Thistle

The Parable Of The Thistle 

II Kings 14:8-9 NKJV

[8] Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us face one another in battle.” [9] And Jehoash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, “The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son as wife’; and a wild beast that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle. 

If you just read this without an insight from 2Ch 25:13, you will miss a great part of the antecedents. Antecedents describe a causal relationship in events. It is the story that precedes the main story. This is jow David Guzik tells the story. " Amaziah gathered a huge army in Judah to go against Edom – three hundred thousand choice men, able to go to war, who could handle spear and shield. He also hired 100,000 mercenary soldiers from Israel. But a prophet came and warned him not to use the soldiers from Israel, because God was not with that rebellious and idolatrous kingdom. Amaziah was convinced to trust God, send the mercenaries from Israel away, and accept the loss of the money used to hire them. God blessed this step of faith, and gave them a convincing victory over the Edomites". Now you understand that with the pride of victory and the pains of the raid by the hired soldiers from Israel, Amaziah was on a war path against Israel.

    The reply of Jehoash triggered the battle, and Judah lost. They suffered terribly, and Amaziah was captured. The image of the thistle and the cedar proved true. But there was more. Amaziah had collected some gods from his last victory and had begun to worship it. It must have triggered God's anger and he was left to be defeated. Don't let your accomplishments cover you from the help you've received from God. Don't ignite the parable of the thistle for yourself. Good morning.

The Exemption Clause

The Exemption Clause 

II Kings 14:5-6 NKJV

[5] Now it happened, as soon as the kingdom was established in his hand, that he executed his servants who had murdered his father the king. [6] But the children of the murderers he did not execute, according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, in which the Lord commanded, saying, “Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their fathers; but a person shall be put to death for his own sin.”

We have dealt with matters of exemption for quite sometimes.we are pulling them together into a book.  In today's episode, Amaziah executed the servants who killed his father, but did not kill their children. The reason is simple. Amaziah was aware that children should not be made to pay the price for the sins of the parents. That declaration in Exodus 20:5-6; 34:6-7 had been overtaken by a new legislation...Jer.31:29;  Ezek.18:2; Job. 21:19.

   The visitation Of the fathers sins on the children is not a simple punishment of innocent children, except the children are as sinful and rebellious as their father. There's no need to feel trapped after you're born again that you have to pay for the sins of your parents. You would be surprised at how many are so taught. Read Ezek.18:20.; Ezek.33:14-15. This is why we have a flow of Joy at salvation. Exodus 34:7. Its for your recognition to understand that youre no longer under the legislation of the enemy. Your salvation is total and complete. That doesn't mean the enemy will not make it apoear as if you have not accepted Christ. You need to learn to stand your ground by faith. 

   It is where you learn to remind the enemy that  there's an exemption clause on your head. And there is. An exemption clause " removes a party's liability for breach of contract. Exemption clauses are also known as limitation, exclusion, exculpatory, or exoneration clauses". I like the exoneration word. Its for you. Good morning.

The Choice To Do Right

The Choice To Do Right 

II Kings 14:1-4 NKJV

[1] In the second year of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, became king. [2] He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. [3] And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, yet not like his father David; he did everything as his father Joash had done. [4] However the high places were not taken away, and the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

Someone says that life is a matter of choices, and every choice you make, makes you. So when things happen to you, you can " either feel sorry for yourself, or treat what has happened to you as a gift. Everything is either an opportunity to grow or an obstacle to keep you from growing."...Wayne Dyer. It is refreshing to read about Amaziah. He didn't need to continue the  pattern of not serving the Lord, but other gods.

   You too have a choice. Amaziah might not have been as thorough as David, but he made his mark with God

Read v.3 again. Jeffrey Seddor is a blogger, yet he caught the same revelation as Amaziah. " Life is made up of an infinite amount of choices. Most decisions, such as where you want to live with the family, are small and only slightly impactful, but it’s the big decisions, the ones that can change your life forever, that are tough to make. When we choose to confront the options before us with courage and confidence, we open ourselves to a fulfilling path of our own design, filled with numerous possibilities". Amaziah didn't only choose which God to serve, he made a choice to confront the people who killed his father. If I could use an African expression, the father must have turned in his grave. Whenever we make quality choices, we become the beneficiary of the consequences 

   What's your choice about salvation? Whats your choice about walking holy? Whats your choice about being used of God? What's your choice about serving God? Every choice has a consequence. You're the very architect of your tomorrow by the quality of decisions you make today. Will you make a godly decision today? I pray that God's presence will guide you in all the decisions you make today, in Jesus Name. Good morning.

God's Mercy Unto Israel

God’s Mercy Unto Israel.

II Kings 13:22-23, 25 NKJV

[22] And Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. [23] But the Lord was gracious to them, had compassion on them, and regarded them, because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not yet destroy them or cast them from His presence.

[25] And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz recaptured from the hand of Ben-Hadad, the son of Hazael, the cities which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. Three times Joash defeated him and recaptured the cities of Israel.

We have a cultural practice in my region. If a person offends you, but is able to run behind an elderly or respectable person, it is expected that the influence of that person should mitigate your anger. That means the person who offended you may not receive any or some part of the punishment anymore. Now I understand it to be an act of mercy. Maybe we learnt it from God. 

   Israel did nothing special , but God yearned for them because of the covering of others. He did it because of the covenants he had with their fsthers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Those covenants triggered God's mercies and preseved them from destruction. Your prayers are not wasted on your children, biological or spiritual. Someday, they will speak.

   So God enabled them to recover the cities the enemy stole from them. And Jehoash defeated the enemy three times, according to the prophecy of Elisha. Today, God's mercies can also speak for you. This mercy is,  " God's compassion, kindness, and pity towards people. It is an extension of God's love, and is often expressed through forgiveness and withholding punishment". It is for mercy that Jesus came. May that mercy speak for you today, in Jesus Name.