Tag: chronicles

  • Israel’s First King

    Israel’s First King

    Israel. Let us first recall that Israel is a person, a people and a place. A nation with the promise of God bears that name and witness of the LORD’s covenant with Abraham and the generations. Israel is the LORD’s name for Jacob, son of Issac, son of Abraham; not any other of the forefathers of history.

    Genesis 32:28 Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.”

    The generations of Esau are not included. Nations and tribes beyond the LORD’s covenant are not included. Israel is a people given God’s promise and Israel is a people who have broken their covenant with the LORD. Yet God is a God of mercy.

    Numbers 35:34 You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell, for I the LORD dwell in the midst of the people of Israel.”

    Numbers 36:7 The inheritance of the people of Israel shall not be transferred from one tribe to another, for every one of the people of Israel shall hold on to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.

    The LORD intended for the generations of Israel to remain separate close families – sons and daughters close to the LORD.

    Deuteronomy 3:18 “And I commanded you at that time, saying, ‘The LORD your God has given you this land to possess. All your men of valor shall cross over armed before your brothers, the people of Israel.

    Deuteronomy 10:12-14 “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good?

    Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it.

    The Hebrew slaves who the LORD rescued from the harsh hand of Pharaoh were given the Law through Moses and led into the Promised Land under Joshua. They had NO King. Israel had no Judges even in that time, but only the rule of the LORD and those consecrated to serve the LORD.

    The LORD is One King above all earthly kings, One Commander over all armies of earth and heaven, and one God above every High Priest anointed to serve the LORD in the wilderness or in the Promised Land.

    Deuteronomy 10:20-21 You shall fear the LORD your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear. He is your praise. He is your God, who has done for you these great and terrifying things that your eyes have seen.

    Therefore, centuries later during the time of Saul, the King of Israel is not like any other King, but a man anointed to serve the LORD.

    We are probably most familiar with David, a man after God’s own heart who succeeded Saul as king. We associate the (first) Temple to Solomon, son of David and Bathsheba, Israel’s most successful, rich and victorious king.

    The history of the Kings of Israel after Solomon is sorted, divided and spans several centuries until the fall of the northern kingdom (Israel) and later the southern kingdom (Judah). Most Kings of Israel after Solomon are best described by the oft repeated synopsis of scripture, “And [he, King] ___ did what was evil in the sight of the LORD.”

    The King and rulers of the land are ultimately accountable to the LORD God.

    Followers of military generals, whether Joshua, Saul, David or another appointed by the King, are ultimately accountable to a man anointed by God.

    The lessons of King Saul are best heeded in the reasons for his failings. The warnings of history might be that we would not elevate such a man to leadership who will not be accountable to God.

    Let’s fast forward to the death of King Saul and accept the reproof of scripture for our own caution.

    1 Chronicles 10

    6 Thus Saul died; he and his three sons and all his house died together. 7 And when all the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled, and the Philistines came and lived in them.

    8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.

    Israel of the JudgesIsrael had won their land from Canaan; however like most countries other lands bordered theirs. Philistia bordered Israel to the west along the coast of the Great Sea (Mediterranean). East of the Jordan Ammon bordered Israel. The Moabites and Amalakites bordered Israel to the South. And the Canaanites lived among the Hebrew people in certain areas and retained some towns of their own.

    Now an enemy has defeated the people of God and now mocks their King before their own idols. (Imagine your enemies doing this with the leader of your country.)

    9 And they stripped him and took his head and his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to carry the good news to their idols and to the people. 10 And they put his armor in the temple of their gods and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon.

    11 But when all Jabesh-gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all the valiant men arose and took away the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to Jabesh. And they buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh and fasted seven days.

    Jabesh-gilead attacks the Philistines to recover the head of Saul
    Jabesh-gilead attacks the Philistines to recover the head of Saul

    It is a skirmish after the loss to recover some of their lost dignity of Israel and to prevent God from being mocked in the temple of idols.

    13 So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance.

    14 He did not seek guidance from the Lord. Therefore the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.

    How would you like to have that obituary?

    King Saul was NOT faithful to God.

    Hebrews 10:30 For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.”

    And again, “The Lord will judge his people.”

    To be continued …

  • Reflections: Jerusalem – a city of Kings

    Reflections: Jerusalem – a city of Kings

    talkofJesus.com

    [ Lament over Jerusalem ]

    “O Jerusalem,Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! – words of Christ JesusMathew 23:37

    mosque and temple21 Chronicles 2:

    A Genealogy of David

    These are the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

    The sons of Judah: Er, Onan and Shelah; these three Bath-shua the Canaanite bore to him.

    Now Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the sight of the Lord, and he put him to death.

    His daughter-in-law Tamar also bore him Perez and Zerah. Judah had five sons in all.

    1 Chronicles 3 

    Descendants of David

    These are the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron: the firstborn, Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelite; the second, Daniel, by Abigail the Carmelite, the third, Absalom, whose mother was Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith; the fifth, Shephatiah, by Abital; the sixth, Ithream, by his wife Eglah; six were born to him in Hebron, where he reigned for seven years and six months.

    And he reigned thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

    These were born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan and Solomon, four by Bath-shua, the daughter of Ammiel;

    then Ibhar, Elishama, Eliphelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia,Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine. All these were David’s sons, besides the sons of the concubines, and Tamar was their sister.

    +

    Jews and Christians take joy in speaking of Abraham, faithful sojourner and father of nations. Jews and Christians speak well of Jacob, who God renamed Israel, and his favored wife Rachel. Jews and Christians proclaim the might and right of the heart of young David as he slew Goliath the Philistine [*Palestinian] by faith, while Saul was indecisive after he disobeyed the LORD.

    Jews and Christians and the nations proclaim the wisdom and wealth of young Solomon, who asked the LORD for wisdom and received abundant blessing throughout His reign over a United Kingdom of Israel, feared and respected by the enemies of the LORD.

    Yet Jews and Christians fail to warn the generations of the failures of compromise, failures of a price paid by David for alliances with kings and wives of other faiths.

    Even more so, Solomon failed in wisdom as his years progressed: wives and concubines believing in everything but God! Sons and daughters believing in anything but God!

    Generations of Kings and compromise for plans not from God and a future of generations who knew nothing of the God of Israel or the Law of the Promise.

    WE THE PEOPLE depose the LORD our God.

    Will we not reap the harvest of lawyers, Judges, Priests and Kings of unrighteousness?

    Roger Harned – talkofJesus.com

    How history fails to recall the failures of sin so evident from century to century; civilization to loss of civility; a time of promise to a time of judgment.

    Jerusalem is a city captured, conquered, destroyed, deserted, re-inhabited, rebuilt, destroyed again, conquered again, rebuilt once more  time and time again throughout the ages.

    Jerusalem is the city of the Temple: built (by Solomon), destroyed, rebuilt (by Ezra and Nehemiah), destroyed again, rebuilt by its captors (Rome) on the ruins by the King who did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. (Herod, if you fail to understand the politics of Jesus’ Jerusalem of the first century.)

    Kings of the United Kingdom (c 1025-925 BC)
    King Relationship to
    Previous King
    God’s
    Judgment
    Saul none did evil
    Ishbosheth* son (unknown)
    David none did right
    Solomon
    (AKA Jedidiah)
    son did right in youth,
    evil in old age
    * The kingdom was divided during Ishbosheth’s reign;
    David was king over the tribe of Judah.

    Israel first became divided.

    Two countries: only Judah with Jerusalem as the place for its King.

    As Prophets warned: Israel fell first. (The area north of Judah was later was known as Samaria.)

    Yet true Prophets of the LORD also warned Judah of her faithlessness and whoredom. Judah and Jerusalem fell under the rule of Kings who did what was evil in the eyes of the LORD.

    Kings of Judah (c 925-586 BC) Kings of Israel (c 925-721 BC)
    King Relationship to
    Previous King
    God’s
    Judgment
    King Relationship to
    Previous King
    God’s
    Judgment
    Rehoboam son did evil Jeroboam servant did evil
    Abijam
    (AKA Abijah)
    son did evil
    Asa son did right
    Nadab son did evil
    Baasha none did evil
    Elah son did evil
    Zimri captain did evil
    Omri captain did evil
    Ahab son did evil
    Jehoshaphat son did right
    Ahaziah son did evil
    Jehoram
    (AKA Joram)
    son of Ahab did evil
    Jehoram
    (AKA Joram)
    son did evil
    Ahaziah
    (AKA Azariah
    or Jehoahaz)
    son did evil
    Athaliah mother did evil Jehu captain mixed
    Joash
    (AKA Jehoash)
    son of Ahaziah did right in youth,
    evil in old age
    Jehoahaz son did evil
    Joash
    (AKA Jehoash)
    son did evil
    Amaziah son did right in youth,
    evil in old age
    Jeroboam II son did evil
    Uzziah
    (AKA Azariah)
    son did right
    Zachariah son did evil
    Shallum none did evil
    (surmised)
    Menahem none did evil
    Pekahiah son did evil
    Pekah captain did evil
    Jotham son did right
    Ahaz son did evil
    Hoshea none did evil
    Hezekiah son did right
    Assyrian captivity
    Manasseh son did evil
    Amon son did evil
    Josiah son did right
    Jehoahaz
    (AKA Shallum)
    son did evil
    Jehoiakim
    (AKA Eliakim)
    son of Josiah did evil
    Jehoiachin
    (AKA Coniah
    or Jeconiah)
    son did evil
    Zedekiah
    (AKA Mattaniah)
    son of Josiah did evil
    Babylonian captivity

    Source: http://www.vtaide.com/gleanings/Kings-of-Israel/kings.html

    To be continued…

  • Sojourners

    Sojourners

    Psalm 39:12 KJV

    Hear my prayer, O LORD,

    and give ear unto my cry;

    hold not thy peace at my tears:

    for I am a stranger with thee,

    and a sojourner,

    as all my fathers were.

    I have just moved, again: this time just across town near to my church family still, near to my wife and son, nearer to my temporary workplace and, I pray as in the words of the old hymn, Nearer My God to Thee.

    As we have been traveling with Jesus in the early days of His three-year earthly ministry as witnessed through the Gospel of Luke, Jesus has already taught the multitudes, enraged many local religious authorities and worked many miracles as evidence of His authority from God our Father in Heaven. Jesus has reported to John the Baptist evidence and confirmed to the multitudes and disciples that John is the greatest of all Prophets; for he has announced the earthly Presence of God the Son, Christ Jesus, Son of Man.

    We have also noted that Jesus of Nazareth left home under inauspicious circumstances, moved to Capernaum and continued to teach in many towns in many places and also on many deserted hillsides and seashores.

    For the three years of His earthly ministry Jesus truly had no home on earth. The Son of Man was a sojourner.

    Today we leave our consideration of Jesus’ early travels and the Gospel of Luke for a time.  Tomorrow, 5 May in the year of our Lord 2014, we will commemorate Ash Wednesday, the traditional beginning of Lent and 40 days of preparation for Easter. As we pause our look at Jesus’ thousand days before His final earthly trip to Jerusalem and the Cross, consider our connection to Christ’s place with no hometown here: as sojourners.

    I had asked yesterday, “How much do we owe God?” Perhaps you will recognize some of the following Old Testament scripture from a blessing of the offering at church; but note the sojourner here.

    1 Chronicles 29: 14 “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly?

    For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. 15 For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding.

    These are the words of David in presenting an offering to the Lord at the public installation of Solomon as King at the Temple of the Lord.

    David lived much of his life (even as the anointed King) as a sojourner, fleeing Saul, fleeing Philistines and other enemies, even in a sense fleeing his own son, Absalom. Yet David knew he could never flee from God. When he sinned, he would always repent an seek God’s own heart.

    psalm 121

    David’s home was not his palace. David’s heart longed to dwell in the pastures of our God and the House of our Great Shepherd.

    Jesus, Son of David, was also a sojourner. He knew every minute and every day of His incarnate life that the Cross of Sacrifice awaited Him on an appointed day in Jerusalem.  Sojourners Jesus and David also knew our true home – a heavenly home of our loving God and Father -is being prepared for our return from this earthly pilgrimage.

    You may recall that Israel was God’s new name for Jacob. Jacob was also a sojourner.

    Genesis 27:41 Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” 42 But the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah. So she sent and called Jacob her younger son and said to him, “Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself about you by planning to kill you. 43 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee…

    Jacob’s Dream

    10 Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11 And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. 12 And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! 13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac.”

    “The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. 14 Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

    16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

    18 So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. 19 He called the name of that place Bethel, [House of God] but the name of the city was Luz at the first.

    20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear,21 so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, 22 and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house.

    And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.”

    Again, the sojourner Jacob makes an offering to God.

    The House of El Shaddai, God Almighty, is not in a place on this earth, but a place that is in Heaven.

    An even earlier mention of the sojourner:

    genesis_cave_of_machpelahGenesis 23:3 And Abraham rose up from before his dead and said to the Hittites, 4 “I am a sojourner and foreigner among you; give me property among you for a burying place, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.”

    Commentary: Abraham stood up, &c.–Eastern people are always provided with family burying-places; but Abraham’s life of faith–his pilgrim state–had prevented him acquiring even so small a possession ( Act 7:5 ).

    (Much more could be said of this place (Machpelah) and of Jacob and Esau, dreams of Israel and dreams and of prophets.  Though the time draws near, this is not yet the time for God’s revelation of the false prophet.)

    Jesus was much more than just a Prophet. Jesus was much more than just a miracle worker. Jesus was much more than a great Teacher.

    If Jesus is NOT a liar, as is Satan and are false prophets, we must hear what our Lord, this sojourner on this earth has said – all of it, including: “Before Abraham was, I AM.”

    Jesus was worshiped by Abraham and David. Jesus was worshiped by prostitutes and tax collectors.

    Jesus IS and Jesus is worshiped by disciples and followers – sojourners and pilgrims in this temporal place, residing in failing flesh seeking the miracle of His breath of cleansing Life.

    A pilgrim in the world; a sojourner in the land

    Stranger and Sojourner (In the Old Testament):

    stranj’-er:

    Four different Hebrew words must be considered separately:

    (1) ger, the American Standard Revised Version “sojourner” or “stranger”;

    (2) toshabh, the American Standard Revised Version “sojourner”;

    (3) nokhri, ben nekhar, the American Standard Revised Version “foreigner”;

    (4) zar, the American Standard Revised Version “stranger.”

    I. THE GER

    This word with its kindred verb is applied with slightly varying meanings to anyone who resides in a country or a town of which he is not a full native land-owning citizen; e.g., the word is used of the patriarchs in Palestine, the Israelites in Egypt, the Levites dwelling among the Israelites (De 18:6; Jud 17:7, etc.), the Ephraimite in Gibeah (Jud 19:16). It is also particularly used of free aliens residing among the Israelites, and it is with the position of such that this article deals. This position is absolutely unparalleled in early legal systems (A. H. Post, Grundriss der ethnologischen Jurisprudenz, I, 448, note 3), which are usually far from favorable to strangers.

    It is the following ‘legal’ principle to which we refer as ‘the golden rule’ and to which Jesus pointed out to the Pharisee Simon, in whose home He dined while the sinful woman anointed His feet with oil: 

    1. Legal Provisions:

    (1) Principles.

    The dominant principles of the legislation are most succinctly given in two passages:

    He “loveth the ger in giving him food and raiment” (De 10:18); “And if a ger sojourn with thee (variant “you”) in your land, ye shall not do him wrong.

    The ger that sojourneth with you shall be unto you as the home-born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were gerim in the land of Egypt” (Le 19:33 f).

    This treatment of the stranger is based partly on historic recollection, partly on the duty of the Israelite to his God. Because the ger would be at a natural disadvantage through his alienage, he becomes one of the favorites of a legislation that gives special protection to the weak and helpless.

    Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles

    9 And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. 3 And he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics.

    4 And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. 5 And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimonyagainst them.” 6 And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

    The Cost of Following Jesus

    57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

    58 And Jesus said to him,“Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

    59 To another he said,“Follow me.”

    But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

    61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

    “Follow me,” says the Lord, Christ Jesus. He IS a sojourner, yet more, He IS with you.

    Our Heavenly Dwelling

    5 For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. 4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

    6 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.

    10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

    The Ministry of Reconciliation

    11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others…

    14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

    20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

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