Bible In One Year-Day 134 (Wednesday, May 14, 2014)

Commentary: 2Kings15-17. These chapters are narratives of rebellious kings, mostly, of Israel. What Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the first king in segregated Israel, left behind as legacy became a stronghold for the descendants of Israel to sin against the God of their fathers;

2 Kings 17:22-23 “For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them;Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day.”

God was lenient with them initially and sent messages to them by the prophets to repent.

2 Kings 17:13-14 “Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God.”

Unfortunately, they wouldn’t; rather, witchcraft prevailed in which they made their children to pass through the fire;

2 Kings 17:17 And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

All these things they did and when God removed them from His sight, the enemy took them captive. They violated God’s command and followed other gods. God had warned them specifically against Molech, the god of sexual sin and children sacrifice just before they entered the Promised Land. The Israelites did exactly what God told them not to do.

Leviticus 18:21 And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.

The cry for repentance was the first message in the New Testament and the first preacher was John the Baptist. After the death of John the Baptist, Jesus continued the message;

Mark 1:14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

The Apostles preached it; Acts 3:19 “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord”

As a matter of fact, the message of the cross is “Repentance”. Many are carrying witnesses about unconsciously which will eventually testify on the Day of Judgment. The image some are carrying on the neck which they call the cross of Jesus and the tie knotted are witnesses to every sinful thoughts. The rings on the fingers are witnesses to bloodshed, the bangles jingle at every evil stone thrown. Those seductive dresses will talk that day. We might think they are subject to perish before then; things could be called out from nothing just for the purpose of witnessing. The things that make a Christian become captive to the enemy are SINS. God loves us just as He loved the Israelites but sin is the problem. When you put anything between you and your God, that thing will eventually become your god. God’s message till today is repentance from all known sin. Human beings are experts in giving sin different colors, but before God, sin is sin no matter what color you paint it; freedom, liberty, right, free thinking, new world etc. To make matters worse, sermons are being preached to color sin. The preacher has the right to preach any message but you have the grace to live a godly life. May I live this with us; 1 Thessalonians 5:22 “Abstain from all appearance of evil”. The reading for today is 2Kings18-20. Keep the fire burning and alive. THE RULE against SIN HASN’T CHANGED; Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Deuteronomy 18:10 “There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,”

Romans 6:15 “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.”

Romans 7:13 “Was then that which is good made death to me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.”