July 2- Just Give Me A Little Time, Lord

July 2, 2011

Scripture Readings:
2 Kings 20:1-22:2; Acts 21:18-36;
Psalm 150:1-6; Proverbs 18:9-10

It is appointed for a man once to die, and then the judgment. 
~Hebrews 9:27

2 Kings 20:1-22:2

One of the worst experiences you can have is to have a family member or close friend be diagnosed with terminal cancer.  The initial response is shock.  Although we all know that none of us get out of this life alive, it is a blow to realize that someone you love is facing the end of their earthly existence. Today, good King Hezekiah becomes terminally ill and is facing death.  Isaiah is called in to see if Hezekiah will recover from his illness and Isaiah comes bearing bad news.  Hezekiah is scheduled to die.

Like many people in this situation, Hezekiah turns to the only person who can alter the situation- God.  Laying in his bed, Hezekiah turns his face to the wall and prays.  He asks God to remember his faithfulness and his obedience to God.  Upon saying these words, he breaks down and cries bitterly. As this is occurring, Isaiah gets another word from the Lord.  God has Isaiah tell Hezekiah that God has heard his prayer.  God intends to heal Hezekiah in three days and will let him live for 15 more years.  Hezekiah asks for a sign from God that this will happen.  God has the sun move backwards ten steps on the sundial to confirm the healing. Hezekiah is healed by a medical treatment.  Faith combined with practical medical attention heals Hezekiah.

Lessons: 1)  Prayer changes things.  If you have ever doubted that God hears prayers, let this story change your doubt to faith!!  Pray for your heart's desire.  Be willing to accept God's answer. 2) Hezekiah is confident in his prayer because he has been a faithful follower of God.  This is a key to having your prayers heard by God.  God hears the prayers of the righteous. 3)We are all appointed a time to die.  Wrap your mind around this fact. 4) God uses medical procedures to heal people, for the most part.  Miraculous healings are not common, although they are possible.

Do you realize the power of crying out to God in prayer? 

Hezekiah is healed and then we see some foolish mistakes in the later part of his life.  He shows the delegation from Babylon all of Judah's treasure.  This is a foolish act of pride.  It will come back to haunt the people of Judah.  After learning that Babylon will take Judah into captivity in the future, Hezekiah responds that he is glad there will be peace during his lifetime.  This shows a lack of concern for his descendants.  We learn further that like King David, Hezekiah is a less than stellar father who produces an evil son.

Hezekiah dies and his son, Manasseh, takes over as king.  He is exceedingly wicked and reinstates Baal worship, Asherah worship, and child sacrifices, as he sacrifices his own son on the altar to Molech/Baal/Chemosh.  This is a Satanic practice where the altar was heated to extremely high temperatures.  The child was then thrown in the lap of the altar and incinerated alive.  In addition to this despicable practice, Manasseh sets up an Asherah pole in the middle of the Lord's Temple.

Angering God through this idolatry, God promises through his prophets to wipe away the people of Jerusalem for doing great evil.  They will go into captivity, just as the Northern Kingdom went into captivity through the Assyrians.

We see the tribes of Israel unable to follow the laws of Moses and unable to follow the God of their ancestors.  God's judgment upon their adulterous behavior is inevitable.

Lessons:  God does not tolerate the worship of any god, but Himself.  God judges evil.

Do you know people who do not love and follow the One True God?

Acts 21:18-36

The Holy Spirit had warned the believers and the Apostle Paul that he would meet with trials in Jerusalem.  In our reading today, this comes to pass.  The Church in Jerusalem is very Jewish.  Although many Jewish believers are welcoming the concept of the Gentiles being grafted in, other trouble makers use this opportunity to whip up opposition to Paul.  Notice that Paul submitted to shaving his head and taking a vow to God, as was customary for Jews, but this does not stop God's will that Paul be persecuted for the sake of Jesus Christ.  His vow does not appease the Jews, who are after him.

The crowd is so riled up and so furious that the Roman guards in the city come to see what the problem is.  They end up rescuing Paul on their shoulders, as the crowd  chants for his death.  This is reminiscent of the riotous crowd who called for Jesus' crucifixion.  Indeed, Paul is identifying with Christ's suffering.  Notice that the Israelites are continuing to rebel against God.  We see it in the Old Testament and in the New Testament.  This is God's will.  This is God's story. The story will unfold as He sees fit.  He will always have a remnant in Israel that call upon His name faithfully, but much conflict will arise from those who war against the God of the Universe.  There is never a dull moment with our sovereign storyteller!

Are you willing to suffer for Christ? Whose side are you on in this story?

Psalm 150: 1-6

Today, my friends, we finish the book of Psalms!!!  We will begin to read it again, tomorrow.  Let everything that breathes, praise the Lord!  Praise the Lord!

Proverbs 18:9-10

God likes hard work.  Being lazy is as bad as destroying things.

What did you notice today?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton