Saturday, May 16, 2009

Day 27 Bread & Wine


Good morning; and no we are not reading about the bread and wine today; but that is what the bible food is; it's the Word of God, which Jesus called the bread from Heaven and his blood is the wine.

So let's eat.

We begin in second Kings chapter five

There was a man named Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper.  He had an Israelite handmaid who told him to go see the prophet in Israel to rid his leprosy.

So Naaman went down there and Elisha was the prophet, yet Elisha did not even come down to the door to see the man.  Instead he sent his servant to tell this captain ("important man") what to do to rid the leprosy.  And just like average people today think, Naaman thought, it took great action like anointing his head, putting Elisha's hand on his head and making him fall down and perhaps catch the 'holy ghost', speak in tongues, and wiggle around until he was healed.

God is much more simple than that: 11But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.

He was told to dip in the river.  He resisted at first; then his servant talked him into doing things the simple way.  And he did and his leprosy was recovered.  However, Elisha's greedy servant became leprous because he wanted silver and change of cloths for helping someone believe in the God of Israel.

2 Kings chapter 6

The Lord was really with Elisha; the Lord will tell him many things, he even knew when the Syrian army was coming against him for being a spy against Israel.  They surrounded his place but Elisha was surrounded by angels sitting on horses of fire.  Amazing!

The Lord blinded the army and Elisha lead them to the Israelite army, in disguise he was taking them to the prophet they were looking for.  They fed them and let them go.  Kindness in place of evil.  This chapter ends with a great famine in Samaria, so bad women were eating their own babies.

In 2 Kings chapter 7 - the man of God announces that God will send food and rain; but those who don't believe will not taste of anything.  

2 Kings 8
God called another famine and Elisha told this lady to go live else where because food will be scarce to come by and she did.  When you're gone for 7 years people might hijack your land; but it just so happen, Elisha's servant was speaking with the king and telling him all the wondrous works Elisha had performed, including raising a dead boy, and the mother of that boy came in.  The king then made sure her land was restored to her.

Meanwhile in Syria, Benhadad became ill and sent his servant Hazael to see if he will die or live.  Elisha told him he'd recover from the illness but he'd still die and then Elisha wept because Hazael will take over king of Syria and do horribly to the children of Israel. It is weird how we cannot see ourselves doing vicious evil; but we never know what we are capable of; as Hazael did not know what he was capable of.

Here is what is going on in the government side of Israel during these days (we've been reading a lot of the prophets and their stories in the country):

 16And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Je hoshaphat king of Judah began to reign.
 17Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.
 18And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab: for the daughter of Ahab was his wife: and he did evil in the sight of the LORD.

Jehoram, Jehoshaphat's son, since he was evil Edom which was under the bands of Judah revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves.

24And Joram slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.
 25In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel did Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah begin to reign.
 26Two and twenty years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri king of Israel.
 27And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did evil in the sight of the LORD, as did the house of Ahab: for he was the son in law of the house of Ahab.

After Jehoshaphat, only wickedness came back into power in Judah and nothing but wickedness was in power in Samaria.  However, finally in Samaria we see an anointing of someone to be king, howbeit, the Lord is sending him to rid all of Ahab's house.  Jehu was anointed to be king over Samaria.  The way he was anointed is a wonderful read.

13Then they hasted, and took every man his garment, and put it under him on the top of the stairs, and blew with trumpets, saying, Jehu is king.

Jehu kills Joram and Ahaziah, king of Judah (it does not pay to have wicked friends because you will go down with them), and he returns to Samaria and has Jezebel killed.  All this fulfilled the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah the prophet.

2 Kings 10

Jehu then has the 70 sons of Ahab beheaded and kills off any remaining alliance to Ahab: 10Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spake concerning the house of Ahab: for the LORD hath done that which he spake by his servant Elijah.
Jehu was a killing machine, he was clearing house of anyone who had association or even liked Jehu.

17And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the saying of the LORD, which he spake to Elijah.
 18And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said unto them, Ahab served Baal a little; but Jehu shall serve him much.

Now he is planning the big punch; he is pretending to throw a big banquet for all the people in the land that go to church of Baal.   

20And Jehu said, Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it.
 21And Jehu sent through all Israel: and all the worshippers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left that came not. And they came into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was full from one end to another.
28Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.

What a set up to get Baal out of Israel.  Thus far this Jehu appears to be a righteous king in Samaria?   

30And the LORD said unto Jehu, Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart, thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.
 31But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin.
 32In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel;

The Lord rewarded his zeal and all that he attempted to do to clean up Israel; but the man did not fully serve God.  So the Lord gave him some space to rule because at least he did a little to clean Israel.  Some of us do this today; we serve God partially.  We keep 8 commandments but break 2 horribly.
We give to the poor but don't keep none of the commandments.  You have to do it all the way or none at all.

Jehu later died and was buried in Samaria.  His son Jehoahaz took over after his 28 year reign in Samaria.

2 Kings chapter 11

Athaliah saw her son was killed and she took over dictating the land of Judah.  She killed the sons of the royal seed but one escaped, the little baby.  When the child was 7 they anointed him king and had Athaliah killed, also all the priest of Baal was killed along with her.  

21Seven years old was Jehoash when he began to reign.

2 Kings 12

 1In the seventh year of Jehu Jehoash began to reign; and forty years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba.
 2And Jehoash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all his days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him.  

This is what all kings needed; a priest to instruct them on what the Lord wanted.  The main thing Jehoash (Joash) did was gather money to fix the Temple of the Lord.

2 Kings 13

 1In the three and twentieth year of Joash the son of Ahaziah king of Judah Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned seventeen years.
 2And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.

The LORD was angry with Israel, and delivered them into the hands of Hazael king of Syria, and into the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael, all their days.

 9And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers; and they buried him in Samaria: and Joash his son reigned in his stead.
 10In the thirty and seventh year of Joash king of Judah began Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned sixteen years.
 11And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin: but he walked therein.

We must look at the lifestyle of our parents and grandparents before us to see how the Lord treated them; if it was good or evil and we should seek the Lord so not to get the evil if they received evil.  These kings just wanted power and money, they cared nothing for the Lord God who set them up.
In this chapter Elisha dies; he dies serving the Lord and prophesying his Word.  

20And Elisha died, and they buried him.

 2 Kings 14

 1In the second year of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel reigned Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah.
 2He was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.
 3And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, yet not like David his father: he did according to all things as Joash his father did.

We see Judah has two kings in a row that did right in the eyes of the Lord.  It is good to seek the Lord; their trouble was less than those of Samaria.

16And Jehoash slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and Jeroboam his son reigned in his stead.
 17And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years.
21And all the people of Judah took Azariah, which was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah.
23In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria, and reigned forty and one years.
 24And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
Samaria still without a righteous king!
29And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel; and Zachariah his son reigned in his stead.

2 Kings 15

 1In the twenty and seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel began Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah to reign.
 2Sixteen years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned two and fifty years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem.
 3And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done;

We will notice another righteous king in Judah; they are doing better than Samaria.  They are not walking totally like David; but at least their report is not evil as it says for the kings in Samaria.

7So Azariah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead.
 8In the thirty and eighth year of Azariah king of Judah did Zachariah the son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six months.

Zachariah did evil in the sight of the LORD, thus Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and killed him before the people, and took over his kingdom.  This does not happen to the kings of Judah.  They may get ill and die; but they don't have uprisings and murdering of their masters because they are not doing evil in God's sight.

When the Lord spoke to Jehu; giving his sons four generations to sit on the throne of Samaria; it came to pass when Shallum killed Zachariah and took over.  However, Shallum only had a month in office before his was killed by Menahem.

17In the nine and thirtieth year of Azariah king of Judah began Menahem the son of Gadi to reign over Israel, and reigned ten years in Samaria.
 18And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

He only reigned 10 years full of fighting...

 22And Menahem slept with his fathers; and Pekahiah his son reigned in his stead.
 23In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned two years.
 24And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
26And the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
 27In the two and fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned twenty years.
 28And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

More evil; and conspiracy to kill the current king.  A man named Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah.  Just a downward spiral.  If this is how their leadership was; I can't imagine how the people lived.

32In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel began Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign.
 33Five and twenty years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok.
 34And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD: he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done.

Judah again gets a favorable report.  When I die; if I can get a report that says I did right in the sight of the Lord; I can live with that because that shows I was trying to keep the ways of the Lord Jesus.

This concludes the reading for today.  Judah up, Samaria down, government, prophets, famine, and murder.  I bet you didn't know about all this drama in the Holy Bible.  So Israel is still in their land and there are wars going on over who shall rule who.  I don't know why they just didn't trade.

See you tomorrow for more food; bible food; bread and wine.

--
Peace & Grace

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