The children of Israel had lost their way. They had become (for the most part) like those that lived around them. They had taken on their lifestyle, their attitudes and their gods. God's people were no different than the rest of the world. Yes, they continued to keep some to the traditions of their fathers, they would go to temple, they would make their offerings, they would sing a few songs and then go home and live just like their neighbors and God would have none of it. He was angry and rightly so. These people had made a promise, a covenant with Him that they would be His people and be a light to the rest of the world. They would live in obedience to Him and would be a blessed people because of it.
Time passes and His people had forgotten what He had done for them. All the warnings of His prophets fell on deaf ears. They had abandoned righteousness and retained ritual. They attended the assemblies, but were unchanged by the encounter. They sang songs of worship with their lips, but their hearts were somewhere else. They made offerings, but retained the best for themselves.
So God says to His people:
"I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me.
Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!" (Amos 5:21-240)
He uses strong language to get His point across. Words like "hate', "despise" and "stench". He tells them that their offerings are unacceptable, that their songs were just noise to Him. The people that had been a joy to Him had become the source of sadness. This picture is in stark contrast to the time that the temple was completed and God came to live in it and all the people celebrated.
God reminds His people that what He wants is justice and righteousness. Their assemblies were to be an outpouring of love for a God that provided and protected. Their offerings were to be in view of their unrighteousness and God's demand for justice. Their songs were to be filled with praise of the One who is worthy of worship. Without justice and righteousness, His people were missing the point of having a relationship with the Creator. Without those elements, they were just like everyone else.
Thankfully, this could never happen today. (sarcasm) We struggle with the same issues in our lives that the Israelites did 3000 years ago. People are people and God still calls on us to be a people of justice and righteousness. Our assemblies are "despised" by God if we are living lives of injustice and unrighteousness. Our songs are noise to God if our hearts are not filled with the joy of a true relationship with Him. Our offerings are unacceptable if they do not flow from a heart that is filled to overflow with gratitude. May we grow in our pursuit of righteousness and our dedication to justice and may we be a people that offer true worship and avoid ritual.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Monday, June 6, 2011
The Power of Prayer
In the midst of all the unfaithfulness that plagues Israel, a story of faithfulness is given. Jehoshaphat, king of Judah reforms the justice system refocusing on the Laws of God. He instructs the judges that they are "not judging for man but for the LORD". Whether it was his desire to serve God or some other event, the next thing we are told is that his neighbors were sending a vast army to make war against Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah. He is told of the impending attack and his actions in the face of war are worthy of our consideration.
Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him. Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the LORD in the front of the new courtyard and said: “LORD, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’ “But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” (2 Chron. 20:3-12)
The king knows where hope is found. Confronted with "unwinnable odds", Jehoshaphat declares a fast and determines to seek God's help for his people. Through his leadership, the people of Judah, from every town came together and sought the LORD’s help. He did not trust in the might of his army or the power of his intellect, he turned to God and led the people whom he ruled to seek God's help. (Where can we find leaders like that?)
With all the people assembled at the temple, Jehoshaphat stands up and offers a mighty prayer in which he praises God for His power, His rule over the nations. He thanks God for deliverance of His people and the fulfilling of the land promise. He reminds God of His promise to deliver His people if they would cry out to Him. He lays their requests for deliverance at God's feet and honestly proclaims "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you".
Humility is not usually an attribute associated with power, but here we have a king willing to publically admit that he is clueless in the face of his enemy. He shows his dependence on God and calls upon all the people to follow him in submission. Take a moment to imagine the scene, the king standing in prayer, all the people around him as he offers a prayer for God's help. Meanwhile, the enemy continues to march towards Jerusalem to drive out the Israelites. Faith vs. force. Prayer vs. power.
Las Vegas would certainly offer good odds for the enemies of Judah. Physical eyes would see a forthcoming slaughter; spiritual eyes would see a sure victory for the faithful. The people stand together before the LORD and wait for His response. He doesn't make them wait long as He sends his message through His servant, Jahaziel. "Do not be afraid or discouraged becauseof this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's". (20:13-19) The battle is not yours, but God's!
The king understood that hope, real hope is only found in God. He demonstrates his trust by leading the people in prayer before the King. He places their future in His hands. And God doesn't let His people down! When God's people are attacked, God is attacked. He takes it personally! Jehoshaphat assembles the people to march out to fight, armed with.... songs. They go out singing and praising Him and He fought the battle for them, defeating the enemy.
Lessons to learn.... first, when trouble comes our way, remember where our help comes from: the maker of heaven and earth. Leaders and followers alike turn to God in prayer; ask for His help when you are faced with difficult odds in your life. Second, wait for His response. Too many times, I ask for His help and then jump out ahead of Him. Wait, patiently for His leadership in our lives. Go to His word and seek wisdom. Ask mature brothers and sisters for guidance. Let God work. Lastly, in the face of difficulty, sing to and praise the Creator. Stop thinking about yourself and how difficult you have it and just praise God. He will work on your behalf, He promises.
May we determine to be like Jehoshaphat turning to God when we need help. May we decide that God is the source of all that we need to "win" in this life and the next and may we sing our way through trials and difficulties as God fights our battles. Praise Him.
Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him. Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the LORD in the front of the new courtyard and said: “LORD, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’ “But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” (2 Chron. 20:3-12)
The king knows where hope is found. Confronted with "unwinnable odds", Jehoshaphat declares a fast and determines to seek God's help for his people. Through his leadership, the people of Judah, from every town came together and sought the LORD’s help. He did not trust in the might of his army or the power of his intellect, he turned to God and led the people whom he ruled to seek God's help. (Where can we find leaders like that?)
With all the people assembled at the temple, Jehoshaphat stands up and offers a mighty prayer in which he praises God for His power, His rule over the nations. He thanks God for deliverance of His people and the fulfilling of the land promise. He reminds God of His promise to deliver His people if they would cry out to Him. He lays their requests for deliverance at God's feet and honestly proclaims "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you".
Humility is not usually an attribute associated with power, but here we have a king willing to publically admit that he is clueless in the face of his enemy. He shows his dependence on God and calls upon all the people to follow him in submission. Take a moment to imagine the scene, the king standing in prayer, all the people around him as he offers a prayer for God's help. Meanwhile, the enemy continues to march towards Jerusalem to drive out the Israelites. Faith vs. force. Prayer vs. power.
Las Vegas would certainly offer good odds for the enemies of Judah. Physical eyes would see a forthcoming slaughter; spiritual eyes would see a sure victory for the faithful. The people stand together before the LORD and wait for His response. He doesn't make them wait long as He sends his message through His servant, Jahaziel. "Do not be afraid or discouraged becauseof this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's". (20:13-19) The battle is not yours, but God's!
The king understood that hope, real hope is only found in God. He demonstrates his trust by leading the people in prayer before the King. He places their future in His hands. And God doesn't let His people down! When God's people are attacked, God is attacked. He takes it personally! Jehoshaphat assembles the people to march out to fight, armed with.... songs. They go out singing and praising Him and He fought the battle for them, defeating the enemy.
Lessons to learn.... first, when trouble comes our way, remember where our help comes from: the maker of heaven and earth. Leaders and followers alike turn to God in prayer; ask for His help when you are faced with difficult odds in your life. Second, wait for His response. Too many times, I ask for His help and then jump out ahead of Him. Wait, patiently for His leadership in our lives. Go to His word and seek wisdom. Ask mature brothers and sisters for guidance. Let God work. Lastly, in the face of difficulty, sing to and praise the Creator. Stop thinking about yourself and how difficult you have it and just praise God. He will work on your behalf, He promises.
May we determine to be like Jehoshaphat turning to God when we need help. May we decide that God is the source of all that we need to "win" in this life and the next and may we sing our way through trials and difficulties as God fights our battles. Praise Him.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Abandoned the Law
(1 Kings 14:22-24; 2 Chron. 12:1, 14)
With Solomon gone, God keeps His promise and divides the kingdom. Solomon's son Rehoboam rules over Judah and Benjamin, while Jeroboam rules over the other 10 tribes. This begins a very dark time in the history of Israel, the divided kingdom. Under Solomon, they had reached the pinnacle as a nation and then just as quickly, they fell to new depths. They were divided and defeated and they had abandoned the LORD who had given them all the blessings.
Warning after warning had been given to the children of Israel and God had made it clear that if they turned from Him, His blessings would be withdrawn. God had delivered them from captivity in Egypt, defeated the people in the promised land and established them as a great nation, yet they abandoned Him.
"After Rehoboam’s position as king was established and he had become strong, he and all Israel with him abandoned the law of the LORD. He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the LORD." (2 Chron. 12:1, 14)
Judah did evil in the eyes of the LORD. By the sins they committed they stirred up his jealous anger more than their fathers had done. They also set up for themselves high places, sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree. There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land; the people engaged in all the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. (1 Kings 14: 22-24)
"Rehoboam's position as king is established and he had become strong." He feels his power! He is in charge and is self-reliant. Nothing good comes from pride and Rehoboam is wallowing in his own strength. God tells us that "after" this, after he is "established" and "strong", Rehoboam and all Israel "abandoned the law of the LORD". They no longer needed God. He had provided everything they had, everything they needed, yet they turned from Him and began to worship idols. A nation, blessed by God, given great power and influence in the world, abandons the God of their fathers to become like the nations around them. (sounds familiar)
God doesn't waste ink, so there are lessons to be learned in the recording of these events. First, God keeps His promises. He told Solomon that the kingdom would be taken away from his son and He fulfills His promise through Jeroboam. Solomon's unfaithfulness results in problems for his children! Parents should pay special attention to this lesson. Each generation has an impact on the next. If I am faithful and my children see that I love the LORD, they will likely want to have that same faith. If I abandon my faith or if they detect that it is phony, they will not have interest in joining me on my faith journey.
"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." (Eph 6: 1-4)
Secondly, when I am strong and powerful, the temptation is to think it is me. I am smart, I am wise and I am wealthy....I, I, I. It becomes about me and I stop depending on God and forget that He is the source of my blessings. We are called to live a life of gratitude for the blessings that God sends our way. Whatever they are, whether great or small, God is the source of every good thing in our lives. "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." (James 1:17)
And lastly, people are going to worship something. When the king and all Israel abandoned God, they turned to other "gods". God created us with a need to worship something or someone. The correct use of that need is of course directed at the God of the universe. Just like every other need or desire that we have, there is a proper outlet for that want; but God gives us the choice to fulfill it properly or improperly. People today worship many things: jobs, homes, spouses, money, boats, boyfriends, girlfriends, leaders, athletes and on and on. When we remove God from the throne of our lives, something or someone else will most assuredly take His place. Israel replaced God with the "gods" that those around them worshipped. Just like them, we are constantly being pulled to conform to those around us, but God calls us to be transformed. (Romans 12: 2)
May we determine to be humble, realizing that God is the source of everything. He, alone is worthy of our worship. Praise Him!
With Solomon gone, God keeps His promise and divides the kingdom. Solomon's son Rehoboam rules over Judah and Benjamin, while Jeroboam rules over the other 10 tribes. This begins a very dark time in the history of Israel, the divided kingdom. Under Solomon, they had reached the pinnacle as a nation and then just as quickly, they fell to new depths. They were divided and defeated and they had abandoned the LORD who had given them all the blessings.
Warning after warning had been given to the children of Israel and God had made it clear that if they turned from Him, His blessings would be withdrawn. God had delivered them from captivity in Egypt, defeated the people in the promised land and established them as a great nation, yet they abandoned Him.
"After Rehoboam’s position as king was established and he had become strong, he and all Israel with him abandoned the law of the LORD. He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the LORD." (2 Chron. 12:1, 14)
Judah did evil in the eyes of the LORD. By the sins they committed they stirred up his jealous anger more than their fathers had done. They also set up for themselves high places, sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree. There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land; the people engaged in all the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. (1 Kings 14: 22-24)
"Rehoboam's position as king is established and he had become strong." He feels his power! He is in charge and is self-reliant. Nothing good comes from pride and Rehoboam is wallowing in his own strength. God tells us that "after" this, after he is "established" and "strong", Rehoboam and all Israel "abandoned the law of the LORD". They no longer needed God. He had provided everything they had, everything they needed, yet they turned from Him and began to worship idols. A nation, blessed by God, given great power and influence in the world, abandons the God of their fathers to become like the nations around them. (sounds familiar)
God doesn't waste ink, so there are lessons to be learned in the recording of these events. First, God keeps His promises. He told Solomon that the kingdom would be taken away from his son and He fulfills His promise through Jeroboam. Solomon's unfaithfulness results in problems for his children! Parents should pay special attention to this lesson. Each generation has an impact on the next. If I am faithful and my children see that I love the LORD, they will likely want to have that same faith. If I abandon my faith or if they detect that it is phony, they will not have interest in joining me on my faith journey.
"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." (Eph 6: 1-4)
Secondly, when I am strong and powerful, the temptation is to think it is me. I am smart, I am wise and I am wealthy....I, I, I. It becomes about me and I stop depending on God and forget that He is the source of my blessings. We are called to live a life of gratitude for the blessings that God sends our way. Whatever they are, whether great or small, God is the source of every good thing in our lives. "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." (James 1:17)
And lastly, people are going to worship something. When the king and all Israel abandoned God, they turned to other "gods". God created us with a need to worship something or someone. The correct use of that need is of course directed at the God of the universe. Just like every other need or desire that we have, there is a proper outlet for that want; but God gives us the choice to fulfill it properly or improperly. People today worship many things: jobs, homes, spouses, money, boats, boyfriends, girlfriends, leaders, athletes and on and on. When we remove God from the throne of our lives, something or someone else will most assuredly take His place. Israel replaced God with the "gods" that those around them worshipped. Just like them, we are constantly being pulled to conform to those around us, but God calls us to be transformed. (Romans 12: 2)
May we determine to be humble, realizing that God is the source of everything. He, alone is worthy of our worship. Praise Him!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)