June 26- Spring Cleaning

June 26, 2011

Scripture Readings:
2 Kings 9:14-10:31; Acts 17:1-34;
Psalm 144:1-15; Proverbs 17:27-28

When making a fire people like to join you, when cleaning the ashes you are often alone. 
 ~African Proverb

2 Kings 9:14-10:31

There are certain times of the year where you get yearnings to get up, get out, and DO something! Spring is that time of year for most people.  As Mark Twain once said, "It's spring fever...you don't quite know what it is you do want, but its just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!"  A lot of people take that heart ache and start cleaning up their abode.  They get off their cans and start sprucing up their homes after a long winter of snow and slush.  It feels good to look out of sparlking clean windows at bright green grass and blooming trees.  When you can open the windows and let a fresh breeze blow through the rooms, it sets your heart right. Today, Jehu is a breeze, but he is not a light spring breeze.  He is like a spring tornado come to do some massive cleaning in Israel for God. 

The time to judge Ahab's wicked family has come.  The time to punish the worshipers of Baal is here, and Jehu is God's man for the job. The first thing Jehu does is kill King Joram of the Northern Kingdom and King Ahaziah of the Southern Kingdom.  Both men had followed the evil ways of idolatry.  Next, we see the brutal end to Jezebel.  She was the mother of Joram and the wicked wife of King Ahab.  It was Jezebel who plotted the murder of Naboath and killed many prophets of the Lord.  She is the queen mother, but that does not prevent her from experiencing a humiliating death by being thrown out of a window and then having her dead body eaten by wild dogs.  Elijah's prophesy against her comes true.

After this, Jehu kills the seventy sons of Ahab and any friends and associates of Ahab and his family.  This is some kind of spring cleaning.  It is all sanctioned by God.  We see that God has tolerated the idolatry and Baal worship for a long time, but judgment eventually comes.  The final clean up is when Jehu pretends to be a Baal worshiper and summons all of the prophets of Baal and all of the followers of Baal who live in the Northern Kingdom of Israel to come to the temple of Baal for a sacrifice and worship.  Upon shutting them up in the temple, Jehu commands that every worshiper of Baal be killed.  The Bible states that the Lord was pleased with Jehu carrying out God's judgment against idolatry in this way.

It is interesting to note that the Scriptures tell us that Jehu did not totally turn from his sins of idolatry and that he did not destroy the two golden calf idols that Jeroboam had created when the Northern Kingdom was formed.

Lessons:  People want to worship things that they have created with their own hands, rather than God.  They want to worship in the way they want, rather than by the rules that God has formed.  What idols do you turn to rather than God?  Is it easier to idolize positive thinking to deal with problems, rather than repentance from sin?  Is it tempting to do good works to justify yourself before God, rather than to humble yourself to speak of sin and the need for Jesus' death and resurrection?


Acts 17:1-34

Paul and Silas continue their travels to different towns to tell people about Jesus and that he is God.  We see that the Jewish leaders in each town try to subvert the work of Paul and Silas by spreading false rumors and getting people upset with them.  The Bible tells us that the Jewish leaders are motivated by jealousy.

Picture I took on a trip to Athens

When Paul and Silas get to a town called Berea, the people are more open-minded than the people in Thessalonica.  The Bible tells us that Paul and Silas explain the prophecies found in Scripture and confirm that Jesus is the prophesied Messiah. They argue that his suffering, death, and resurrection prove this.  The people in Berea are distinguished for studying their Scriptures and checking up on what Paul and Silas were saying. Some Jews from Thessalonica come and start to stir up trouble in Berea.  So Paul goes to Athens.

Athens was an ancient city of philosophers and temples.  As Paul walked through the city, he was disturbed by the number of idols.  When invited to the Council of Philosophers to speak about his new religion, Paul gives a wonderful talk about God.  Here are some highlights:

• There is a monument to The Unknown God in this city of Athens.
• Athenians have been worshiping God without knowing who He is.
• I (Paul)  will tell you about Him.
• God created the heavens and the earth and does not dwell in man-made temples.
• Human hands cannot serves God's needs, because He has no needs.
• He is the one who gives life to all things.  He is the one who satisfies needs.
• He made all people of all nations from one man.
• He controls the rise and fall of men and determines their boundaries.
• His purpose has been that all men should seek after Him, even though He is close to each of us.
• It is in Him that we live and move and exist.
• We are his offspring.
• God overlooked people's tendency to try to make God an image of silver or gold, but now He commands that everyone turn from this practice.
• He has appointed a man to judge the world and has proven that man's worth by raising Him from the dead.

Paul's talk ends here.  Some prominent people believe and others laugh at Paul.  Many people want to hear more.

Lesson:  It is important to be able to defend your faith.  Studying Scripture and knowing God's truth makes this possible in your life.

Congratualtions on reading the Bible with me thus far.  You are putting in the work that will make you able to defend your faith to others. Truth is important. God's truth is essential for people.  Study truth to show yourself a good workman for God.

Psalm 144:1-5

I like these verses,"O Lord, what are mortals that you should notice us, mere humans that you should care for us? For we are like a breath of air, our days are like a passing shadow."

Proverbs 17:27-28


Here are some qualities of wise people, they use few words and are even tempered.  Even fools can look wise if they keep their mouths shut!

What did you notice today?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton