josiah – Praying Pint

12.n. “But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.”

Zephaniah 1:1 The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, during the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah: Judgment on the Whole Earth in the Day of the Lord “I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth,” declares the Lord. “I will sweep away both man and beast; I will sweep away the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea— and the idols that cause the wicked to stumble.” “When I destroy all mankind on the face of the earth,” declares the Lord, “I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all who live in Jerusalem. I will destroy every remnant of Baal worship in this place, the very names of the idolatrous priests— those who bow down on the roofs to worship the starry host, those who bow down and swear by the Lord and who also swear by Molek, those who turn back from following the Lord and neither seek the Lord nor inquire of him.”

Psalms 10:4    In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”

Isaiah 1:4     Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged.

Jeremiah 2:17     Have you not brought this upon yourself by forsaking the LORD your God, when he led you in the way?

Jeremiah 15:6     You have rejected me, declares the LORD; you keep going backward, so I have stretched out my hand against you and destroyed you— I am weary of relenting.

Hebrews 10:38-39    but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”  But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

2 Peter 2:21-22   For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.  What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”

Zephaniah was almost certainly born during the long, wicked reign of Manasseh, whose reign began 55 years before the start of Josiah’s reign. Josiah was a godly, young king who brought great revival and reform to Judah but Josiah reigned for 10 years before he led his great revival. Zephaniah was likely written in the years before the revival, and God used this prophecy to bring and further revival. Zephaniah didn’t waste any time getting to the point. Delivering the message of the LORD, he warned of harsh and complete judgment that would consume everything before the LORD. God addresses the royalty of Judah in a way they aren’t used to hearing. He tells them to “shut up” and listen to His pronouncement of judgment – a sacrifice of judgment made against a wicked nation. Our ability to proclaim our innocence when we are deep in sin is pretty amazing, but through it all God tells us to be silent in the presence of the Lord GOD. This warning came to a godly king during a time of reform. God warns Josiah and the whole royal community what will happen if they don’t follow through on their turning to God. (Enduring Word)

The bible is clear in its warnings of judgment and the reason for it. Why do we insist on our innocence and act as though we are not guilty? Why do we shun the true words of warning and cling to lies of self-assurance? Be silent and listen! We are born again, a new creation, adopted children of God. Our new birth requires food and water for growth. The food and water of this new birth is the bread of life and the living water of Jesus Christ. How often do we come to the table of Jesus Christ and eat and drink of Him and with Him? How is there growth without this bread of life and living water? There isn’t. There is only stagnation, withering, drying up, and weakness. Zephaniah, David, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Paul, Habakkuk, Solomon, Peter, James, John, and nearly all of the writers of the Word of God give the warning to neglect, complacency, being lukewarm, trueing away from fully committed to following, obeying, honoring, glorifying, worshiping, and trusting Jesus Christ. Our ability to proclaim innocence when we are clinging to and dancing with sin is a direct result of the intentional choice to live this way. Renew your commitment to Jesus Christ. The warnings are clear. Judgment is certain. It is close at hand.

12.k. “Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.”

Habakkuk 3:2 Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.

Psalms 119:120 My flesh trembles for fear of you, and I am afraid of your judgments.

Jeremiah 36:1 In the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD: “Take a scroll and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel and Judah and all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah until today. It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the disaster that I intend to do to them, so that every one may turn from his evil way, and that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.” Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah, and Baruch wrote on a scroll at the dictation of Jeremiah all the words of the LORD that he had spoken to him. And Jeremiah ordered Baruch, saying, “I am banned from going to the house of the LORD,so you are to go, and on a day of fasting in the hearing of all the people in the LORD’s house you shall read the words of the LORD from the scroll that you have written at my dictation. You shall read them also in the hearing of all the men of Judah who come out of their cities. It may be that their plea for mercy will come before the LORD, and that every one will turn from his evil way, for great is the anger and wrath that the LORD has pronounced against this people.” And Baruch the son of Neriah did all that Jeremiah the prophet ordered him about reading from the scroll the words of the LORD in the LORD’s house. In the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ninth month, all the people in Jerusalem and all the people who came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem proclaimed a fast before the LORD. Then, in the hearing of all the people, Baruch read the words of Jeremiah from the scroll, in the house of the LORD, in the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the secretary, which was in the upper court, at the entry of the New Gate of the LORD’s house. When Micaiah the son of Gemariah, son of Shaphan, heard all the words of the LORD from the scroll, he went down to the king’s house, into the secretary’s chamber, and all the officials were sitting there: Elishama the secretary, Delaiah the son of Shemaiah, Elnathan the son of Achbor, Gemariah the son of Shaphan, Zedekiah the son of Hananiah, and all the officials.And Micaiah told them all the words that he had heard, when Baruch read the scroll in the hearing of the people. Then all the officials sent Jehudi the son of Nethaniah, son of Shelemiah, son of Cushi, to say to Baruch, “Take in your hand the scroll that you read in the hearing of the people, and come.” So Baruch the son of Neriah took the scroll in his hand and came to them. And they said to him, “Sit down and read it.” So Baruch read it to them. When they heard all the words, they turned one to another in fear. And they said to Baruch, “We must report all these words to the king.” Then they asked Baruch, “Tell us, please, how did you write all these words? Was it at his dictation?” Baruch answered them, “He dictated all these words to me, while I wrote them with ink on the scroll.” Then the officials said to Baruch, “Go and hide, you and Jeremiah, and let no one know where you are.” So they went into the court to the king, having put the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the secretary, and they reported all the words to the king. Then the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he took it from the chamber of Elishama the secretary. And Jehudi read it to the king and all the officials who stood beside the king. It was the ninth month, and the king was sitting in the winter house, and there was a fire burning in the fire pot before him. As Jehudi read three or four columns, the king would cut them off with a knife and throw them into the fire in the fire pot, until the entire scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the fire pot. Yet neither the king nor any of his servants who heard all these words was afraid, nor did they tear their garments. Even when Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them.

And so it is with man. Intentional choices are made to acknowledge or defy God and His awesome wonders, powers, warnings, and promises. We can respond; “His word speaks to me and shows me His glory. His creation reveals His majesty. His grace, mercy, and love give me the reason for faith, hope, and steadfast obedience. His Son gives me redemption, forgiveness, and salvation. His Holy Spirit gives me strength. His promises give me hope, joy, and refuge.” Or, we can respond with pride, self-reliance, self-assurance, defiance, rejection, and no fear/respect for God and what His Holy Word proclaims. Every individual makes an intentional choice in regard to God. Some to eternal life and most to eternal damnation. Habakkuk and David and Jehoiakim, in the scriptures above, reveal their hearts and intentional choice. What choice are you making today?

199. Choose to do that which is right in the eyes of God

2 Kings 23:28 Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? In his days Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt went up to the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates. King Josiah went to meet him, and Pharaoh Neco killed him at Megiddo, as soon as he saw him. And his servants carried him dead in a chariot from Megiddo and brought him to Jerusalem and buried him in his own tomb. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and anointed him, and made him king in his father’s place. Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done. And Pharaoh Neco put him in bonds at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and laid on the land a tribute of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. And Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz away, and he came to Egypt and died there. And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land to give the money according to the command of Pharaoh. He exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, from everyone according to his assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Neco.

Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zebidah the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord,

Josiah the king, who reigned 31 years, that brought back the worship of God, reading of the word of God, and destroying all of the false gods and their places of worship, was replaced as king by his son Jehoahaz who was 23 yr old when Josiah died in battle. He reigned for 3 months and did evil in the sight of God. He was replaced by his brother Eliakim who was 25 yr old. He reigned 11 years and did what was evil in the sight of God.

Thirty-one years of no idol worship. Thirty-one years of temple worship of God. Thirty-one years being led by a godly man. Thirty-one years, so the entire life of these sons of Josiah were exposed to the true worship of God by their father and yet they chose to do what was evil in the sight of God. “They Chose.”

We have been given free will to choose to follow after and obey God or not. The choice is a heart, mind, and soul commitment or not. The choice is to believe in the one true God or not. The choice is to believe in what is written in the Word of God.

If our whole heart, mind, and soul are not choosing to honor, follow, trust, rely on, cling to, and obey God then they have been given over to another choice. This choice is being given over to our sinful nature and that nature chooses to do what is right in its own eyes, what is important to its own self-interest, what is contrary to the Word of God and is so easily done and seems perfectly fine because without God there is only self-satisfying, self-interest, self-seeking, self-worth, self-purpose, self-gratification.

Each person must choose to surrender their heart, mind, and soul into the hands of God or not. Those that choose NOT will never be satisfied or whole.

198. Josiah turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might

2 Kings 23:21 And the king commanded all the people, “Keep the Passover to the Lord your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.” For no such Passover had been kept since the days of the judges who judged Israel, or during all the days of the kings of Israel or of the kings of Judah. But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah this Passover was kept to the Lord in Jerusalem.

Moreover, Josiah put away the mediums and the necromancers and the household gods and the idols and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might establish the words of the law that were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the Lord. Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses, nor did any like him arise after him.

Still the Lord did not turn from the burning of his great wrath, by which his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked him. And the Lord said, “I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and I will cast off this city that I have chosen, Jerusalem, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there.”

2 Chronicles 35:17 And the people of Israel who were present kept the Passover at that time, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days. No Passover like it had been kept in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet. None of the kings of Israel had kept such a Passover as was kept by Josiah, and the priests and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah this Passover was kept.

It is hard to believe that the Passover was cast aside and treated like an outdated tradition. But that is what happened. The memory, remembrance, and celebration of the great, awesome, majestic, powerful, and merciful miracle of God against the Egyptians for the Israelites were cast aside. Seven miracles were performed, all in the view of the Israelites prior to the Passover miracle. This celebration was to be passed down from generation to generation so that they would not forget the great hand of God that led them from slavery. We can see this did not happen. At some point, it was stopped just like the reading of God’s word. God’s word had been put aside and with it all commitment to love Him with their whole heart, mind, soul, and strength.

The importance of what God has done in our lives should never be minimized or forgotten. Jesus Christ took on our sin, bore the penalty of it, and did this willingly while we were yet sinners. He did this out of love. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son so that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” Just as in the Passover where lamb’s blood was put on the doorposts so that the angel of death would pass over those who did this, Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. To minimize the sacrifice, to cast aside the love given, and to disregard the penalty paid by being neglectful and complacent is wrong on so many levels. Note how Josiah got rid of everything that was a hindrance and replacement for serving God with their whole heart, mind, and soul. Let us not forget. Let us commit anew. Let us humbly serve, honor, glorify, follow, trust, and obey God for He alone is worthy.

197. How would our life change were we to give our whole heart, soul, and mind to God?

2 Kings 23:4 And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest and the priests of the second order and the keepers of the threshold to bring out of the temple of the Lord all the vessels made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron and carried their ashes to Bethel. And he deposed the priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to make offerings in the high places at the cities of Judah and around Jerusalem; those also who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and the moon and the constellations and all the host of the heavens. And he brought out the Asherah from the house of the Lord, outside Jerusalem, to the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron and beat it to dust and cast the dust of it upon the graves of the common people. And he broke down the houses of the male cult prostitutes who were in the house of the Lord, where the women wove hangings for the Asherah. And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had made offerings, from Geba to Beersheba. And he broke down the high places of the gates that were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on one’s left at the gate of the city. However, the priests of the high places did not come up to the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem, but they ate unleavened bread among their brothers. And he defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, that no one might burn his son or his daughter as an offering to Molech. And he removed the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun, at the entrance to the house of the Lord, by the chamber of Nathan-melech the chamberlain, which was in the precincts. And he burned the chariots of the sun with fire. And the altars on the roof of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars that Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the Lord, he pulled down and broke in pieces and cast the dust of them into the brook Kidron. And the king defiled the high places that were east of Jerusalem, to the south of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. And he broke in pieces the pillars and cut down the Asherim and filled their places with the bones of men.

Moreover, the altar at Bethel, the high place erected by Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, that altar with the high place he pulled down and burned, reducing it to dust. He also burned the Asherah. And as Josiah turned, he saw the tombs there on the mount. And he sent and took the bones out of the tombs and burned them on the altar and defiled it, according to the word of the Lord that the man of God proclaimed, who had predicted these things. Then he said, “What is that monument that I see?” And the men of the city told him, “It is the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and predicted these things that you have done against the altar at Bethel.” And he said, “Let him be; let no man move his bones.” So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet who came out of Samaria. And Josiah removed all the shrines also of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which kings of Israel had made, provoking the Lord to anger. He did to them according to all that he had done at Bethel. And he sacrificed all the priests of the high places who were there, on the altars, and burned human bones on them. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

Deuteronomy 13:5 But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery, to make you leave the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.

We read all of the actions Josiah took after he made a covenant to walk after the Lord. We went city by city and destroyed the false idols, altars, and anything that was a compromise in serving God with their whole heart, mind, and soul. What a testimony to a changed life. What a testimony to humbly serving, following, honoring, trusting, relying on, and obeying God.

How would our life change were we to give our whole heart, soul, and mind to God? What would be changing in how we think? What would change in where we go? What would change in what we say? What would change in how we act? What would change in what we allow to influence our lives? What would change in how much time we spend in His word? What would change?

When we come to God’s word with hunger and thirst for it, when we come to God’s word with a seeking and a desire, when we come to God’s word with a want to hear and be led by the Holy Spirit, we will filled with a continual hunger for more and more knowledge, wisdom, and understanding of Jesus Christ, and we will be able to discern the deceptions and illusions this world has to offer.

194. But no accounting shall be asked from them

2 Kings 22:3 In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, the secretary, to the house of the Lord, saying, “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may count the money that has been brought into the house of the Lord, which the keepers of the threshold have collected from the people. And let it be given into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the Lord, and let them give it to the workmen who are at the house of the Lord, repairing the house (that is, to the carpenters, and to the builders, and to the masons), and let them use it for buying timber and quarried stone to repair the house. But no accounting shall be asked from them for the money that is delivered into their hand, for they deal honestly.”

Luke 16:10-12    “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.  If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches?

2 Corinthians 8:20-21     We take this course so that no one should blame us about this generous gift that is being administered by us,  for we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of man.

2 Timothy 2:2   and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.

3 John 1:5     Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are,

No receipt is needed because they deal honestly. I wonder where that is at in the world today. Dealing honestly. We used all kinds of documents and contracts to hold people accountable and honest. We check every dot and line to make sure we are covered because we don’t trust and/or we have been cheated. Then during the project, something goes not according to plan and adjustments need to be made. It was an oversight and both you and the contractor know this should be covered under the original scope. However, because you were so meticulous in your contract it left no room for him to just do it. Trying to protect yourself from fraud and cheaters is just the way of life.

Do you ever wonder if we are cheaters and frauds with God’s grace, love, and mercy? Are we frauds and cheaters with His word? Think about it. God has given us great and precious promises in and through His word. He has given us His word and promises that through His word we will find wisdom, knowledge, and understanding about Him. He promises that we will grow in our understanding of salvation, knowledge of righteousness, and will be led into all wisdom by the Holy Spirit. The builders, masons, and carpenters did not have to give an account of what was given to them because they used it honestly. Can the same be said of us and the use of God’s word in our life? If we were asked to give an account on how we read it, use it, follow it, apply it, obey it, meditate on it, desire it, seek it, search it and want it, would we be found as frauds and cheaters of what was entrusted with us?

We do well to stay in His word and let it permeate our thoughts and actions with humble service to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

193. Even a child makes himself known by his acts.

2 Kings 22:1 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the way of David his father, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.

Proverbs 20:11     Even a child makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright.

1 Kings 11:38     And if you will listen to all that I command you, and will walk in my ways, and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did, I will be with you and will build you a sure house, as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you.

Joshua 1:7     Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.

Ezekiel 18:14-17     “Now suppose this man fathers a son who sees all the sins that his father has done; he sees, and does not do likewise:  he does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor’s wife,  does not oppress anyone, exacts no pledge, commits no robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment,  withholds his hand from iniquity, takes no interest or profit, obeys my rules, and walks in my statutes; he shall not die for his father’s iniquity; he shall surely live.

Being 8 years old and becoming a king that did what was right in the eyes of the Lord would mean you have some very dedicated and godly people around to guide and give you counsel. Seeing how Manasseh reigned 55 years and did evil and his son Amon reigned 2 years and followed in his father’s same footsteps it is a wonder that young Josiah was able to come out against the adopted culture of his people. Such is the way it is with people who choose to be open to God, choose to be used by God, choose to listen for God to speak directly into their life, choose to follow His word, and choose to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord.

We can easily live how we choose to live here in the US. We have a choice to live in such a way the glorifies and honors God, a way that follows and obeys Him, a way that listens and expects to be lead by God, a way that reflects the light of Jesus Christ to a dark world, and a way that demonstrates trust, faith, hope, and reliance in Jesus Christ.

192. Broken cisterns that can hold no water.

2 Kings 21:19 Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Meshullemeth the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, as Manasseh his father had done. He walked in all the way in which his father walked and served the idols that his father served and worshiped them. He abandoned the Lord, the God of his fathers, and did not walk in the way of the Lord. And the servants of Amon conspired against him and put the king to death in his house. But the people of the land struck down all those who had conspired against King Amon, and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his place.

Deuteronomy 32:15     “But Jeshurun grew fat, and kicked; you grew fat, stout, and sleek; then he forsook God who made him and scoffed at the Rock of his salvation.

1 Chronicles 28:9    If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.

Jeremiah 2:13     for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.

What kind of person do you have to be to have your servants conspire to put you to death? At 22 years old Amon began his reign and we need to remember that his father Manasseh had done some very bad things. He was into all sorts of spirit worship and idol worship and even burned one of his sons as a sacrifice. This is what Amon would have seen so it is not much wonder that he would have learned very bad behaviors.

The Word of God was void during the time of Manasseh and Amon. We see the result of this lack of regard and reverence for His Word. It is very important we look at this, as well as other examples, and understand the issue at hand and how we can combat it. The issue is one of the heart. The heart is where we hold that which is dear and valuable to us. If it is not God then it is something else. The issue is one of the mind. The mind is where we think, ponder, believe, imagine, and reason. We will keep in mind what is dear and valuable in our heart. The issue is one of the soul. The soul is the subconscious and inner being of the person. Whatever is in the heart and mind will reside in the soul of a person. If we give our heart, mind, and soul to Jesus Christ with a deep desire to understand and know Him more and more so that we can best humbly serve, honor, glorify, follow, trust, rely, and obey Him, we will continually be filling our heart with how precious and valuable Jesus Christ is, we will continually be thinking about His great and precious promises, mercy, grace, and steadfast love, and we will be in communion with the Holy Spirit in our soul.

Open wide the faucet to God’s Word and intentionally choose to break off the valve so that it can never be shut off. Drink from this faucet continually. Share from this faucet freely, water seeds of His grace, mercy, and love with it.

147. He sought to silence the messenger rather than respond to the message.

1 Kings 13:1 And behold, a man of God came out of Judah by the word of the Lord to Bethel. Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make offerings. And the man cried against the altar by the word of the Lord and said, “O altar, altar, thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name, and he shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who make offerings on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.’” And he gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign that the Lord has spoken: ‘Behold, the altar shall be torn down, and the ashes that are on it shall be poured out.’” And when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar at Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, “Seize him.” And his hand, which he stretched out against him, dried up, so that he could not draw it back to himself. The altar also was torn down, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign that the man of God had given by the word of the Lord. And the king said to the man of God, “Entreat now the favor of the Lord your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.” And the man of God entreated the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored to him and became as it was before. And the king said to the man of God, “Come home with me, and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward.” And the man of God said to the king, “If you give me half your house, I will not go in with you. And I will not eat bread or drink water in this place, for so was it commanded me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘You shall neither eat bread nor drink water nor return by the way that you came.’” So he went another way and did not return by the way that he came to Bethel.

David Guzik; “This is a sad commentary on the spiritual state of Jeroboam’s kingdom. This anonymous man of God was used in an important way. He demonstrates that one does not need to be famous to be significantly used by God. Jeroboam’s reaction was immediate – he sought to silence the messenger rather than respond to the message. The prophecy from the man of God was like most every message of coming judgment – an implicit invitation to repentance. Jeroboam obviously did not accept this invitation. Under the evident judgment of God, Jeroboam had no use for golden calves or their altars. He knew that his only hope was in the LORD and in His representative. As the subsequent chapters will show, Jeroboam didn’t really repent here; or if he did, it was only for a moment. Wanting to receive something from God is not the same as repentance. Jeroboam quickly – and naturally, given the circumstances – embraced the man of God as a friend. He wanted to refresh and reward him, without any repentance from the sin the man of God had denounced.”

How many times do we go down paths without a single thought of being on a path that is God led, God, purposed, and God planned? If there is no intentional choice (desire) to seek out God’s leading for each day then we leave an opening for influences other than God to slip in and guide us. Therein is the problem. We seem to condone walking through life with an occasional glance in God’s direction rather than intentionally choosing to keep our eyes fixed on Him, our heart committed to Him, and our mind ever thinking about Him.

When we are in His word each day there is a refreshing that comes to our soul. This refreshing comes in different forms. Conviction and subsequent refreshing repentance and forgiveness. Courage, peace, and rest in the face of trials. Hope in the midst of troubles. The clarity in times of confusion. Light in darkness. Strength in weakness.

If God is not first and foremost in our every day lives then what is first and foremost will not be honoring, serving, following, and serving Him.