Despite the forewarning of doom, Josiah was still determined to do what was right in the eyes of the Lord. Maybe disaster couldn’t be averted, but in announcing the retributive judgments of Heaven, the Lord had not withdrawn opportunity for repentance and reformation; and Josiah, discerning in this a willingness on the part of God … Continue reading –>
The renovation of the sanctuary, long the center of Israelite worship, was important, but renovation of a building wasn’t all that was needed. The most beautiful and elaborate structure, though designed to help worshipers sense something of the power and grandeur of the Lord, in and of itself isn’t enough to evoke piety among the … Continue reading –>
Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the way of David his father, and … Continue reading –>
A preacher once said, Be careful what you pray for. You just might get it. Israel had asked for and longed for a king, just like the nations around them. They got what they asked for, and so much of Israelite history after the era of the judges was the story of how these kings … Continue reading –>
However much we like to talk about objectivity, about viewing things as they really are, as human beings we are hopelessly subjective. We see the world not so much as the world really is, but as we really are. And because we are fallen and corrupted beings, this corruption is going to impact our perceptions … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: 2 Chronicles 33:1-25, Hab. 1:2-4, 2 Kings 22, Phil. 2:3-8, 2 Kings 23:1-28, 1 Cor. 5:7. Memory Text: Now before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law … Continue reading –>
After completing high school, I worked as a literature evangelist for three years. One day I visited a hospital, and there I saw someone who looked familiar. I barely recognized him, but it was one of my former drinking buddies, my childhood friend. He was dying of TB and AIDS. I stared at him in … Continue reading –>
Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us (1 John 3:16). No doubt we can look around in nature, in human relationships, and in the marvels of the creation itself and get a view of God’s love, however much sin has damaged that creation as well as our … Continue reading –>
As we saw yesterday, whatever his fears, whatever his own emotions, Jeremiah stood firm, fully aware of the potential death that his stance could bring him. He warned the princes and the people very clearly in Jeremiah 26:15 (know for certain [NKJV], he said) that if they killed him they would face punishment for spilling … Continue reading –>
From our perspective looking back, it’s hard to believe the hardness of the hearts of the people. As we saw in yesterday’s lesson, Jeremiah’s message-however strong-was still filled with hope. If they repented, God would avert the horrific punishments that, based on the covenant promises and curses, would come upon them. If only they would … Continue reading –>
