Effie Darlene Barba

He had warned them so many times.  But they did not listen.  God demonstrated His Righteousness and His Wrath against Sin repeatedly throughout history.  Everything in nature demonstrates who He is.  Still, in total depravity, humanity persists in living lives of high treason against the Almighty creator of this world.  If God allowed depravity to overrun all this creation without showing forth His Wrath against injustice, then we could never experience His Ultimate Wonderful Grace.  Evil and darkness would snuff out any spark of light.  Do you feel the smothering effects of evil’s power in this world today?  I do. 

But I also recognize how the effects of evil’s power manifests itself within my own heart, were it not for the grace of God that saves me and releases me from its power. His Ultimate Wonderful Grace can only be fully understood when I understand the Wrath of God against sin.

Warning of the Wrath of God Because They Rejected Him

The people had pleaded for a King to rule them so they would be like all the other kingdoms.  In I Samuel 8:10-18, God warned them.  He tried to tell them that they would regret this once the Kings had taken from them.  They insisted they wanted a king to rule them. 

⁶ But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. ⁷ And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. ⁸ According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. ⁹ Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.”  I Samuel 8: 6-9 (NASB)

God had warned them long before through Moses. 

In Deuteronomy 28, God promised blessings if only they would obey. They would be blessed beyond measure. Yet, He warned them.

But it shall come about, if you do not obey the Lord your God, to be careful to follow all His commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:   Deuteronomy 28:15(NASB)

He proceeds to describe then all of the curses to include famine, plagues, drought, floods, pestilence, war, and ultimately if they did not repent, He foretold their exile.

⁴⁷ “Since you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a cheerful heart, in gratitude for the abundance of all things, ⁴⁸ you will serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger, thirst, nakedness, and devoid of all things; and He will put an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you.

⁴⁹ “The Lord will bring a nation against you from far away, from the end of the earth, as the eagle swoops down; a nation whose language you will not understand, ⁵⁰ a nation with a defiant attitude, who will have no respect for the old, nor show favor to the young. Deuteronomy 28: (NASB)

The Wrath of God Demonstrates His Ultimate Wonderful Grace

The Lord God Almighty gave them Kings as they requested.  He sent prophets to warn them.  Throughout those years, He demonstrated His power, His patience, His Grace and His wrath.  Despite all this, they continued to chase idols or attempt to worship however they saw fit.  Doing each one what was right in their own eyes.  As such, the prophecies were all fulfilled and the last King to sit upon the thrown in their time ended in total distress. 

Jeremiah warned King Zedekiah of all that would come.  Instead of listening, the King imprisoned Jeremiah. 

⁵ But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was scattered from him. ⁶ Then they captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and he passed sentence on him. ⁷ And they slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, then put out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him with bronze shackles, and brought him to Babylon.  2 Kings 25:5-7 (NASB)

Despite all this, we know that King Zedekiah will not be the final King.  For the King of Kings will come.  They had rejected God as their ruler, but He will return, and He will reign as Israel’s ultimate King. 

Why the Wrath of God in Exiling Judah?

They had turned their back on God. And the sour grapes, spoiled the crop completely. Therefore, it was necessary that He remove and preserve the remnant by separating them in exile.

Let me sing now for my beloved
A song of my beloved about His vineyard.
My beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill.
² He dug it all around, cleared it of stones,
And planted it with the choicest vine.
And He built a tower in the middle of it,
And also carved out a wine vat in it;
Then He expected it to produce good grapes,
But it produced only worthless ones.

³ “And now, you inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah,
Judge between Me and My vineyard.
⁴ What more was there to do for My vineyard that I have not done in it?
Why, when I expected it to produce good grapes did it produce worthless ones?
⁵ So now let Me tell you what I am going to do to My vineyard:
I will remove its hedge and it will be consumed;
I will break down its wall and it will become trampled ground.
⁶ I will lay it waste;
It will not be pruned nor hoed,
But briars and thorns will come up.
I will also command the clouds not to rain on it.”

⁷ For the vineyard of the Lord of armies is the house of Israel,
And the people of Judah are His delightful plant.
So He waited for justice, but behold, there was bloodshed;
For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help….

¹³ Therefore My people go into exile for their lack of knowledge;
And their ^[j]nobles are famished,
And their multitude is parched with thirst.
¹⁴ Therefore Sheol has enlarged its ^[k]throat and opened its mouth beyond measure;
And ^[l]Jerusalem’s splendor, her multitude, her noise of revelry, and the jubilant within her, descend into it.
¹⁵ So the common people will be humbled and the person of importance brought low,
The eyes of the haughty also will be brought low.
¹⁶ But the Lord of armies will be exalted in judgment,
And the holy God will show Himself holy in righteousness.
¹⁷ Then the lambs will graze as in their pasture,
And strangers will eat in the ruins of the ^[m]wealthy.

Isaiah 5 (NASB)

In the meantime, God preserved the remnant. They remained a scattered nation enjoying only moments within their land; but enough to preserve the heritage and to fulfill God’s ultimate plan of salvation. 

Were His wrath against sin never demonstrated, His ultimate wonderful grace could not have been.  Why?  Because humanity’s depraved heart would remain hell-bent on destroying all that is righteous and good. Is that not what we see today as well?

Without the Wrath of God How Do We Know Grace?

If we do not understand God’s wrath against sin then we can never comprehend His Grace.  God the Father poured out all His wrath against our sin upon God the Son who willingly bore that wrath, so that His elect could be save.  Like the wrath of God being poured out on Israel and Judah, so that the remnant might be preserved and saved.  God demonstrates Himself in many ways, so that no one has any excuse. 

¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, ¹⁹ because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse.  Romans 1(NASB)

No Excuses, He Has Made Himself Known

Not only has He shown himself through creation itself, God also revealed Himself through His word.  With great, miraculous means He has proven His word repeatedly throughout history.  It would take a fool to see all that has happened and not believe.  Ah, but that we are: fools.  I see that He has the power to speak, and the demons even obey His voice; yet, like a fool at times worry about such trivial things.  Furthermore, He has spoken through His son.

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways. ² In these last days has spoken to us in His Son. Whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made the world. ³ And He is the radiance of His glory. The exact representation of His nature,  and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Hebrews 1: (NASB)

God Has a Future for Jerusalem and the Jewish Nation

He will return to restore His people of Israel as well.  One day, He is returning to pour out His wrath against all sin and evil.  We have through the studies seen glimpses of His wrath.  Some have died suddenly, some in battle, some swollen up by the earth.  But in all and through all, God has accomplished His will and we who know Him as Lord and Savior can rest assured, He will complete His work in us as well.

³³ Oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! ³⁴ For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? ³⁵ Or who has first given to Him, that it would be paid back to him? ³⁶ For from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.  Romans 11 (NASB)

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.

Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

For Prayer or Comments

If you have a prayer request feel free to email me by clicking here

Furthermore, if you would like to share your story or thoughts, you can comment here

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4 Reasons We Who Really Know God Have Peace and Joy

DISCLOSURES

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2023Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Credits

New King James Version (NKJV)Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

New Living Translation (NLT)Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

English Standard Version (ESV)The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

Photo licensed from AdobeStock

The Jewish Nation had split into two Kingdoms, the Northern 10 tribes and the 2 tribes of Judah.  Yet, they failed to worship God.  That is all but a remnant turned away.  Revivals came.  Prophets spoke.  Yet, no one listened.  History seemed to repeat itself even with a people whom God appeared to devote so much attention.  He displayed His power repeatedly.  Still, they quickly became discontented and ran in many directions away from God’s precious hand of love to seek other things.  Disaster was around the corner, but God bid them to remember Him; because those who really know God have Peace and Joy in the darkest hours of history.  Ezekiel was such a prophet as was Jeremiah and Zechariah to prepare them for the tragedies awaiting the nation.  So, they who really know God understand and see God’s Providential hand in all that is to come.

We, too, are not left ignorant of all that will come. God has spoken through His word and told us what is to come.  Just as what has come to pass, so shall His word stand true.  It is for that reason; we have no cause to mourn.  Rather we have reason to live with peace and joy within us.  If we really know God, then we understand this is not our final home.  We are to be the light in this world where darkness and confusion seem to be running rampant until He calls us home. 

Reason #1 for Peace and Joy-God Did Exactly What He Said He Would

The Northern tribes of Israel were taken by Assyria and then the southern tribes named Judah were taken by the Babylonian Empire.  70 years later there was a remnant that returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt.  Albeit they were not a Kingdom.  Ruled by the Persians for a time, then the Greeks and later the Romans; Israel did not return as a nation until 1948 when they were declared an independent nation.  Prior to that they were owned by the Ottomans (modern day Turkey and then British rule). Think for a moment how miraculous that was!  God preserved a people with a heritage despite their being scattered throughout the world.  He did just what He said He would.   And those who have ruled over them were exactly as foretold by Daniel. 

I will surely assemble all of you, Jacob,
I will surely gather the remnant of Israel.
I will put them together like sheep in the fold;
Like a flock in the midst of its pasture
They will be noisy with men.  Micah 2:12

Even Moses Foretold Their Rebellion, Exile and Gathering

 then the Lord your God will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you. ⁴ If any of your scattered countrymen are at the ends of the earth, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you back. ⁵ The Lord your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will be good to you and make you more numerous than your fathers.

⁶ “Moreover, the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the hearts of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul, so that you may live.  Deuteronomy 30:3-6

Consider how impossible this may all seem; yet, God is faithful to complete all that He has promised. And we see that very thing being carried out in our time, before our very eyes.

Reason #2 for Peace and Joy—God will Display His Glory for His Own Names Sake

²² “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “It is not for your sake, house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. ²³ And I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord,” declares the Lord God, “when I show Myself holy among you in their sight. ²⁴ For I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the lands; and I will bring you into your own land. ²⁵ Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. ²⁶ Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. ²⁷ And I will put My Spirit within you and bring it about that you walk in My statutes, and are careful and follow My ordinances.

Ezekiel 36 (NASB)

Not because you deserve it, but because I have declared it. All this by His Great Love and Grace.

²⁸ And you will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God. ²⁹ Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain and multiply it, and I will not bring a famine on you. ³⁰ Instead, I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you will not receive again the disgrace of famine among the nations. ³¹ Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your wrongdoings and your abominations. ³² I am not doing this for your sake,” declares the Lord God; “let that be known to you. Be ashamed and humiliated for your ways, house of Israel!”

Ezekiel 36 (NASB)

A tiny little strip of land with barely 3 million people to start, has successfully reached a point of power, economic strength, and position so as to flourish surrounded by hostile nations much larger than themselves.  And one day:

³³ ‘This is what the Lord God says: “On the day that I cleanse you from all your wrongdoings, I will populate the cities, and the places of ruins will be rebuilt. ³⁴ The desolated land will be cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passes by. ³⁵ And they will say, ‘This desolated land has become like the Garden of Eden; and the waste, desolated and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.’ ³⁶ Then the nations around you that are left will know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted that which was desolated; I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do it.”

Ezekiel 36 (NASB)

Reason #3 for Peace and Joy:  Jesus Came

The greatest of reasons is this.  Regardless of all that happened with the Kingdom of Israel, God in the fullness of time brought His Son to be the propitiation for our sin.

⁴ But when the fullness of the time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, ⁵ so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons and daughters. ⁶ Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba! Father!” ⁷ Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.  Galatians 4

If you know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, you are a son or daughter of God Almighty. No power can separate you from Him. Nothing can harm You. He will carry out His plans in you and through you. And one day you will live with Him in perfect righteousness forever. How amazing is that! So why worry or fret about the little things. And in the scheme of eternity, all of this is little things. God’s got this.

Reason #4 for Peace and Joy:  He who keeps His Promises Has sealed us

We see Israel standing as a nation against all odds, they were re-established.  Everyday, more of the Jewish people return home defying even their own logic as they are drawn to do so.  And we stand on the truth of Ephesians 1.

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, ⁴ just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love ⁵ He predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, ⁶ to the praise of the glory of His grace, with which He favored us in the Beloved.

Ephesians 1 (NASB)

His will, His Grace

⁷ In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings, according to the riches of His grace ⁸ which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight ⁹ He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He set forth in Him, ¹⁰ regarding His plan of the fullness of the times, to bring all things together in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. ( Ephesians 1).

Ephesians 1 (NASB)

We have already obtained! So just a little while we will see.

¹¹ In Him we also have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things in accordance with the plan of His will, ¹² to the end that we who were the first to hope in the Christ would be to the praise of His glory. ¹³ In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise, ¹⁴ who is a first installment of our inheritance, in regard to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory. 

Ephesians 1 (NASB)

When Others Say, He Will Not Return, WE must Save the Earth

³ Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, ⁴ and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue just as they were from the beginning of creation.” ⁵ For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, ⁶ through which the world at that time was destroyed by being flooded with water. ⁷ But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly people.

¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be discovered.

2 Peter 3 (NASB)

Therefore, what kind of people should we be?

¹¹ Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, ¹² looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! ¹³ But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

¹⁴ Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found spotless and blameless by Him, at peace, ¹⁵ and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, ¹⁶ as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which there are some things that are hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. ¹⁷ You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unscrupulous people and lose your own firm commitment, ¹⁸ but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

2 Peter 3 (NASB)

So, How Do You Who Know Christ Live in Joy and Peace?

1.  Keep Your EYES on Him.  He is the prize our heart desires.
2.  Stay in His Word
3.  Focus on Truth
4.  Continuously Rejoice with Worship in your heart
5.  Stand Firm in the truth
6.  Be a beacon of light in a dark world
7.  Never ever forget, Christ has already won the victory for us.

I highly recommend this sermon to all my followers who can understand English

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.

Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

For Prayer or Comments

If you have a prayer request feel free to email me by clicking here

Furthermore, if you would like to share your story or thoughts, you can comment here

DISCLOSURES

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2023Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Credits

New King James Version (NKJV)Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

New Living Translation (NLT)Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

English Standard Version (ESV)The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

Photo licensed from AdobeStock

This broken world filled with turmoil and grief, I must ask myself, “Do I Really Trust God?”  Or am I, along with many others just mouthing the words?  Does my life reflect the truth of God’s Goodness toward me?  Or are there too many times when I might grumble or complain?  Do I, like many, believe firmly that God must save the United States of America?  But why?  Judah believed because they were God’s chosen people, God would save them regardless of their behavior.  But that was not the case.  He warned them.  Pleaded with Him. And bid them return to a right fellowship with Him.  Now, despite two revivals by two God fearing Kings, time was running out.  Just as foretold by other prophets, time came and the Babylonian Empire would overthrow Jerusalem. 

Many would die.  The city would fall to desolation.  A remnant was exiled into Babylon.  It would be this remnant which God would after 70 years bring back to Jerusalem.  From them would come the Messiah, although they would reject Him and the temple would be destroyed again in 70 AD.  Sorrow, grief, turmoil, and destruction mark the course of humanity.  Why?  As a whole, we do not fully stand in awe of God.  After all He is the creator of the Universe.  All the intricate details of everything around us should cause us to marvel at Him.  The depth of His love and patience should call us to fall before Him in humility.  And the Magnificence of His Righteous Indignation and wrath against sin, should cause us to fall in reverent fear before Him.

Jeremiah and Daniel Displayed the fact that they really trust God.

There was no more tumultuous time than that of Jeremiah and Daniel.  Jeremiah was called to proclaim to all of Judah, Judgement is at hand.  No time left.  You will be destroyed.  A most unpopular message indeed.  Everyone around him tried to the tell the people, “Just Ain’t So.”  God would never abandon Judah.  They failed to look at their own sin filled life.  They did not truly see or know who God was.  Abandoning the truth of His Words, they did what they thought was right in their own eyes.  Does this sound familiar? 

This is what the Lord says: “Go and buy a potter’s earthenware jar, and take some of the elders of the people and some of the senior priests. ² Then go out to the Valley of Ben-hinnom, which is by the entrance of the Potsherd Gate, and proclaim there the words that I tell you, ³ and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, you kings of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: Jeremiah 19

The Lord God of Armies

The Lord God of Armies—God leads armies of Angels.  Those creatures of whom one slain 145000 Assyrian soldiers in one night.  The very ones that everyone who saw them must be told, “Do not fear. Or Stand Up (because the sight of the angel was so terrifying that they fell to the ground trembling).   God leads this army against evil and sin. 

“Behold I am going to bring a disaster upon this place, at which the ears of everyone that hears of it will tingle. ⁴ Since they have abandoned Me and have made this place foreign, and have burned sacrifices in it to other gods that neither they nor their forefathers nor the kings of Judah had ever known, and since they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent ⁵ and have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, a thing which I did not command nor speak of, nor did it ever enter My mind; Jeremiah 19

What Was Their Sin Causing a World of Turmoil and Grief?

Willingly, they sacrificed their children to Baal, seeking what?  Sexual perversion and prosperity.  God would have never asked them to do that.  Instead, He offered His own son to save theirs.

⁶ therefore, behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when this place will no longer be called Topheth or the Valley of Ben-hinnom, but rather the Valley of Slaughter. ⁷ And I will frustrate the planning of Judah and Jerusalem in this place, and I will make them fall by the sword before their enemies and by the hand of those who seek their life; and I will make their carcasses food for the birds of the sky and the animals of the earth. ⁸ I will also turn this city into an object of horror and hissing; everyone who passes by it will be appalled and hiss because of all its disasters. Jeremiah 19

Judgement has arrived.

Just as the potter can choose to destroy the vessel when it is beyond repair, to form a new one.  So can God.

¹⁰ “Then you are to break the jar in the sight of the men who accompany you, ¹¹ and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord of armies says: “To the same extent I will break this people and this city, just as one breaks a potter’s vessel, which cannot again be repaired; and they will bury their dead in Topheth, because there is no other place for burial. ¹² This is how I will treat this place and its inhabitants,” declares the Lord, “so as to make this city like Topheth. ¹³ The houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah will be defiled like the place Topheth, because of all the houses on whose rooftops they burned sacrifices to all the heavenly lights and poured out drink offerings to other gods.”’” Jeremiah 19

Really Trust God—so Jeremiah Did as God Said

¹⁴ Then Jeremiah came from Topheth, where the Lord had sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the courtyard of the Lord’s house and said to all the people, ¹⁵ “This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: ‘Behold, I am going to bring on this city and all its towns the entire disaster that I have declared against it, because they have stiffened their necks so as not to listen to My words.’”  Jeremiah 19 (NASB)

Then what happened to Jeremiah?

When Pashhur the priest, the son of Immer, who was chief overseer in the house of the Lord, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things, ² Pashhur had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put him in the stocks that were at the upper Benjamin Gate, which was by the house of the Lord.

I Wonder Would I Be So Brave-so Do I really trust God as Jeremiah did?

 ³ Then on the next day, when Pashhur released Jeremiah from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, “Pashhur is not the name the Lord has called you, but rather Magor-missabib.

⁴ For this is what the Lord says: ‘Behold, I am going to make you a horror to yourself and to all your friends; and while your eyes look on, they will fall by the sword of their enemies. So I will hand all Judah over to the king of Babylon, and he will take them away as exiles to Babylon and will kill them with the sword.

⁵ I will also give all the wealth of this city, all its produce and all its valuable things—even all the treasures of the kings of Judah I will hand over to their enemies, and they will plunder them, take them away, and bring them to Babylon. ⁶ And you, Pashhur, and all who live in your house will go into captivity; and you will enter Babylon, and there you will die and there you will be buried, you and all your friends to whom you have falsely prophesied.’”

How Could Jeremiah be so Bold?

Jeremiah’s Song

⁷ Lord, You persuaded me and I let myself be persuaded;
You have overcome me and prevailed.
I have become a laughingstock all day long;
Everyone mocks me.
⁸ For each time I speak, I cry aloud;
I proclaim violence and destruction,
Because for me the word of the Lord has resulted
In taunting and derision all day long.
⁹ But if I say, “I will not remember Him
Nor speak anymore in His name,”
Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire
Shut up in my bones;
And I am tired of holding it in,
And I cannot endure it.

¹⁰ For I have heard the whispering of many,
“Terror on every side!
Denounce him; let’s denounce him!”
All my trusted friends,
Watching for my fall, say:
“Perhaps he will be persuaded, so that we may prevail against him
And take our revenge on him.”

¹¹ But the Lord is with me like a powerful champion;
Therefore my persecutors will stumble and not prevail.
They will be put to great shame because they have failed,
An everlasting disgrace that will not be forgotten.
¹² Yet, Lord of armies, who tests the righteous,
Who sees the mind and the heart;
Let me see Your vengeance on them,
For to You I have disclosed my cause.
¹³ Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord!
For He has saved the soul of the needy one
From the hand of evildoers. 

Jeremiah 20 (NASB)

It is God’s words that burned within Him.  How does that happen?  From studying every day His word and seeking Him above everything else in this world. He preached it to himself, until he forever could really trust God.  Remembering all that God had done, Jeremiah surrendered to God’s Will.

Daniel was exiled into Babylon about midway through Jeremiah’s Ministry.  He was made a Eunuch and placed in King Nebuchadnezzar’s court.  He too would be known for really trusting God in a tumultuous and sorrow filled world. 

Exiled to Protect: Trust God in Tumultuous World

After Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken into exile Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and the officials of Judah with the craftsmen and metalworkers from Jerusalem and had brought them to Babylon, the Lord showed me: behold, two baskets of figs placed before the temple of the Lord. ² One basket had very good figs, like first-ripe figs, and the other basket had very bad figs which could not be eaten due to rottenness. ³ Then the Lord said to me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” And I said, “Figs: the good figs are very good, and the bad ones, very bad, which cannot be eaten due to rottenness.”

⁴ Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ⁵ “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘Like these good figs, so I will regard as good the captives of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans. ⁶ For I will set My eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land; and I will build them up and not overthrow them, and I will plant them and not uproot them. ⁷ I will also give them a heart to know Me, for I am the Lord; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me wholeheartedly.

⁸ ‘But like the bad figs which cannot be eaten due to rottenness,’ indeed, this is what the Lord says, ‘so will I give up Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials, and the remnant of Jerusalem who remain in this land, and the ones who live in the land of Egypt. ⁹ I will make them an object of terror and an evil for all the kingdoms of the earth, as a disgrace and a proverb, a taunt and a curse in all the places where I will scatter them. ¹⁰ And I will send the sword, the famine, and the plague upon them until they are eliminated from the land which I gave to them and their forefathers.’”

Jeremiah 24 (NASB)

How amazing! Those taken captive were the ones being set aside to be protected!  That was Daniel.  Did he read these words and gain heart to stand amid the sorrowful and tumultuous world.  How?  Really trust God in all that He has said and done.

A Nation Under Judgement

As we look around us, we know our nation is in judgement.  As outlined in Romans 1:

¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth ^[m]in unrighteousness, ¹⁹ because that which is known about God is evident ^[n]within them; for God made it evident to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse. ²¹ For even though they knew God, they did not ^[o]honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasonings, and their senseless hearts were darkened. ²² Claiming to be wise, they became fools, ²³ and they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible mankind, of birds, four-footed animals, and ^[p]crawling creatures.

²⁴ Therefore God gave them up to vile impurity in the lusts of their hearts, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. ²⁵ For they exchanged the truth of God for ^[q]falsehood, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed ^[r]forever. Amen.

²⁶ For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged natural relations for that which is contrary to nature, ²⁷ and likewise the men, too, abandoned natural relations ^[s]with women and burned in their desire toward one another, males with males committing ^[t]shameful acts and receiving in ^[u]their own persons the due penalty of their error.

²⁸ And just as they did not see fit ^[v]to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a depraved mind, to do those things that are not proper, ²⁹ people having been filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, and evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice; they are gossips, ³⁰ slanderers, ^[w]haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, ³¹ without understanding, untrustworthy, unfeeling, and unmerciful; ³² and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.

Romans 1 (NASB)

But One Day, We Know

¹⁴ ‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and the house of Judah. ¹⁵ In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch of David sprout; and He shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth. ¹⁶ In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety; and this is the name by which it will be called: the Lord is our righteousness.’  Jeremiah 33

Therefore, let us remember in hard times the example set by Jeremiah and Daniel.  Let us seek God in everything we do.  Let our lives reflect this kind of faith when facing trials.  I know within me this is impossible, but in Christ all things are possible.

I encourage you to watch this video of a song of Phil Wickham I found.

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.

Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

For Prayer or Comments

If you have a prayer request feel free to email me by clicking here

Furthermore, if you would like to share your story or thoughts, you can comment here

Previously

One Absolutely Marvelous Example of God’s Mercy and Justice in Life

DISCLOSURES

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2023Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Credits

New King James Version (NKJV)Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

New Living Translation (NLT)Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

English Standard Version (ESV)The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

Photo licensed from AdobeStock

Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow.  How beautiful snow is when it freshly falls, glistening white with no discoloration.  We so love that verse when it comes to our own sin; but what about others?  Are we so quick to accept them in?  We tend to believe some people are too evil to ever be forgiven. However, in that case is it that we see to little the blackness in our own heart? Or we do not see the absolute righteousness of God, bringing us to our knees. As we come to look at this king of Judah, King Manasseh, a part of us bristles at the thought of his being saved in the end.  He truly is one absolutely Marvelous Example of God’s Mercy and Justice in Life.  We could easily compare his life to Paul the apostle who stood by and watched, perhaps even ordered, the stoning of Stephen. 

How could it be God would save such a man as Saul to be renamed Paul?  Ah but you see, we cannot see the heart of God.  Nor do we truly see the heart of others, as God sees them. And yet, let us consider.  Perhaps it is true that my own judgmental, prideful heart is even worse than Paul’s worse day.  Could it be that I am so quick to see the speck in my brother’s eye while never seeing the boulder in my own?  I daresay, too often it is precisely the case.

The more I learn of the Marvelous Example of God’s Glory, the more I recognize my own unworthiness before a Holy God. Yet, He saved me. Why would I not want that for another whose eyes had been blinded and now they see?

Marvelous Example:  From the depths of evil

  Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem. ² He did evil in the sight of the Lord according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord dispossessed before the sons of Israel. ³ For he rebuilt the high places which his father Hezekiah had torn down; he also set up altars for the Baals and made Asherim, and he worshiped all the heavenly lights and served them.  2 Chronicles 33

He was a very spiritual man as some would say today, “I am spiritual”.  He worshipped astrology, the stars, the moon, and the sun. In addition he sought after many idols and the gods of the world. Perhaps searching for peace, but never finding.

⁴ He built altars in the house of the Lord of which the Lord had said, “My name shall be in Jerusalem forever.” ⁵ He built altars for all the heavenly lights in the two courtyards of the house of the Lord. ⁶ He also made his sons pass through the fire in the Valley of Ben-hinnom; and he practiced witchcraft, used divination, practiced sorcery, and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him to anger. 2 Chronicles 33

Boldness of An Evil Heart

Furthermore, he was bold.  He even placed the idols inside the house of God.  Oh, wait, but don’t we do the same today?  Have I not at times in my life been guilty of the same? Placing other desires above God and never even considering what I was doing.

⁷ Then he put the carved image of the idol which he had made in the house of God, of which God had said to David and his son Solomon, “In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever; ⁸ and I will not remove the foot of Israel again from the land which I have appointed for your fathers, if only they will take care to do everything that I have commanded them according to all the Law, the statutes, and the ordinances given through Moses.” ⁹ So Manasseh encouraged Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the sons of Israel. 2 Chronicles 33 NASB

The Darkest Recesses of Evil in Nation 2 Kings 21

¹⁰ Now the Lord spoke through His servants the prophets, saying, ¹¹ “Since Manasseh king of Judah has committed these abominations, having done more evil than all that the Amorites did who were before him, and has also misled Judah into sin with his idols, ¹² therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘Behold, I am bringing such a disaster on Jerusalem and Judah that whoever hears about it, both of his ears will ring.

¹³ I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab, and I will wipe Jerusalem clean just as one wipes a bowl, wiping it and turning it upside down. ¹⁴ And I will abandon the remnant of My inheritance and hand them over to their enemies, and they will become as plunder and spoils to all their enemies, ¹⁵ because they have done evil in My sight, and have been provoking Me to anger since the day their fathers came from Egypt, even to this day.’”

And King Manasseh

¹⁶ Furthermore, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides his sin into which he misled Judah, in doing evil in the sight of the Lord.

Although, not recorded in the Bible, there are some historical books that suggest perhaps King Manasseh was responsible for Isaiah’s death.  There is one such recording that suggests Isaiah was placed in a sack inside a tree and sawed in half.  Hebrews 11 does refer to someone of faith being sawed in half.  Perhaps it was Isaiah.  But all combined, King Manasseh was of all men most evil until he humbly repented of his sins before God.

Marvelous Example of God’s Grace

⁰ So the Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. ¹¹ Therefore the Lord brought the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria against them, and they captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze chains, and led him to Babylon. ¹² When he was in distress, he appeased the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. ¹³ When he prayed to Him, He was moved by him and heard his pleading, and brought him back to Jerusalem to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord alone is God.  

And so King Manasseh joined the long list of sinners saved by grace alone.  Sinners just like me.  God reached down from His Throne to see me.  He sent His son to die to pay the price for my sin.  My heart so often filled with flickering embers of bitterness.  How quickly I jumped to anger and frustration last week over trivial things.  I say it is because I am overworked, overwhelmed, and stretched too far; but is it that?  Do I ever stop to remember that I am at times so critical of others?  Oh, “woe is me” must be my cry like that of Isaiah.

Isaiah 6: Marvelous Example of God’s Mercy and Justice

 In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. ² Seraphim were standing above Him, each having six wings: with two each covered his face, and with two each covered his feet, and with two each flew. ³ And one called out to another and said,

“Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of armies.
The whole earth is full of His glory.”

⁴ And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. ⁵ Then I said,

“Woe to me, for I am ruined!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I live among a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of armies.”

⁶ Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. ⁷ He touched my mouth with it and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; and your guilt is taken away and atonement is made for your sin.”

Another Marvelous Example of God’s Grace and Justice—Jonah

Jonah thought the Ninevites were too evil to be saved.  Yet, God told Him, otherwise.  And through their salvation the destruction of Israel was delayed for a time.  Yet, the depth of evil in the heart of the Israelites were compounded by their pride and arrogance.  Believing God would always choose them as though it was because they were superior in their character.  Truth is:  Yes, He chose them.  But that was an act of grace alone.  Justice would burn up the lot of us all, were it not for grace.  Justice demands it; but Jesus paid the price.  Oh what Marvelous Example of Grace has been shown me, a sinner.

How quickly I must be reminded that my only hope is Jesus.  One day I will look like Him, but until that day I must bow before the cross daily.  I only display Him to the world when I come to the end of me so that His light might shine through an emptied vessel overflowing with His love, grace, and His righteousness.

So let us rejoice in Him, proclaiming His Magnificent Glory to a world in need of a Savior. Then let us sing praise to the Marvelous Example of His Grace whenever anyone comes to repent and accept Him as Lord and Savior.

WHEN I CAME TO THE END OF ME

So many times I strayed so far from you

And wondered what was I  to do

I tried so hard, my might, to do your will

I could not see I should stand still

What could I do? Bring You a gift?

The harder I try, the farther I drift

I reached that point, reality

I’d broke your heart, you still loved me

CHORUS: When I don’t have the strength

You make me strong

When my heart fills with tears

You are my song

You are the love,

My hope from above

My fountain of life

To overcome strife

When I don’t have a hope

At the end of life’s rope

And I can’t find my way

You save this lost stray

Oh, help me see the new me

Bought by your blood  my penalty

And through my life someone might see

A glimpse of you, your majesty

When I come to the end of me

Only there can I truly see

The depth of Your love for me

And all that you bought eternally

Effie Darlene Barba

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.

Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

For Prayer or Comments

If you have a prayer request feel free to email me by clicking here

Furthermore, if you would like to share your story or thoughts, you can comment here

Previously

How to Joyfully Trust God in a Crazy Upside-Down World

DISCLOSURES

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2023Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Credits

New King James Version (NKJV)Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

New Living Translation (NLT)Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

English Standard Version (ESV)The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

Photo licensed from AdobeStock

Hezekiah became King of Judah in a particularly tumultuous crazy upside-down world.  His father, King Ahaz, replaced true worship of God with idolatrous worship of many forms.  He made treaties with Assyria to pay monthly tributes for the protection of Judah, although so had the northern kingdoms of Israel in vain.  Meanwhile, Assyria rose up as the major power of the day with Babylon somewhat smoldering, desirous to flex its muscles in its desire to rise in power.  Assyria wanted to overtake Egypt, while Israel and Judah were directly in that pathway.  Meanwhile, even Israel rose up to battle against Judah.  So, we might ask, “how was it that King Hezekiah determined to follow God with all his heart?”   But he did, and this is a piece of his story. King Hezekiah determined to joyfully trust God in a crazy upside-down world.

It all began by making a covenant commitment to God within the first year of his reign as King in 715 BC.  For the first time in decades the Passover was restored and King Hezekiah invited all from every area to come to the Passover. 

2 Chronicles 29 (NASB

³ In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them. ⁴ He brought in the priests and the Levites and gathered them into the public square on the east. ⁵ Then he said to them, “Listen to me, you Levites. Consecrate yourselves now, and consecrate the house of the Lord, the God of your fathers, and carry the uncleanness out of the holy place.

⁶ For our fathers have been unfaithful and have done evil in the sight of the Lord our God, and they have abandoned Him and turned their faces away from the dwelling place of the Lord, and have turned their backs. ⁷ They have also shut the doors of the porch and extinguished the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel.

⁸ Therefore the wrath of the Lord was against Judah and Jerusalem, and He has made them an object of terror, of horror, and of hissing, as you see with your own eyes. ⁹ For behold, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons, our daughters, and our wives are in captivity because of this. ¹⁰ Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, so that His burning anger may turn away from us. ¹¹ My sons, do not be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, and to be His ministers and burn incense.”

Joyfully Trust God and Keep His Commandments

King Hezekiah loved God, revered God and obeyed God.  God’s word tells us regarding King Hezekiah. 

He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel; and after him there was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among those who came before him. ⁶ For he clung to the Lord; he did not desist from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses. ⁷ And the Lord was with him; wherever he went he was successful. And he revolted against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. ⁸ He defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city.  2Kings 18 (NASB)

Despite all that, not everything was smooth.  Indeed, King Hezekiah faced fear, illness, and temptation as any other man.  As we look at those, let us learn from this King how we should respond as well.

How to Joyfully Trust God when Fear Grips You

In all King Hezekiah did during his early reign, he demonstrated how to joyfully trust God.  He built an aqueduct through stone to provide water to Jerusalem even if surrounded by enemies.  This was quite a feat.  Additionally, he fortified the city walls and stored provisions.  With all of this, he also stopped paying tribute to Assyria. 

Samaria the capital of the Northern tribes of Israel fell to Assyria.  As was customary, the Assyrians scattered the people throughout.  This is a means of trying to destroy any sense of nationalism.  (Similar to today when the elites want to destroy any sense of national pride.  This is a tactic to gain emotional power over the people. Divide the people so that no one remembers who they are.)  Then Assyria began to take Judean cities as well.  Their plan was to overtake Jerusalem.  The initial response by King Hezekiah was one of fear.  Therein, King Hezekiah, made an error in judgment as he tried to fix the problem himself.

We Cannot Fix the Problem Alone

 ¹³ Now in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria marched against all the fortified cities of Judah and seized them. ¹⁴ Then Hezekiah king of Judah sent messengers to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong. Withdraw from me; whatever you impose on me I will endure.” So the king of Assyria imposed on Hezekiah king of Judah the payment of three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. ¹⁵ Hezekiah then gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasuries of the king’s house. ¹⁶ At that time Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the Lord, and from the doorposts, which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and he gave it to the king of Assyria.  2 Kings 18: (NASB)

But of course, evil has no end to its appetite and will continue to devour more with each inch given it will try to take a mile more. 

Lesson in fear and how to joyfully trust God.

So, King Sennacherab of Assyria sent his men to surround Jerusalem to taunt King Hezekiah and all the people.

‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria says: “What is this confidence that you ²have? ²⁰ You say—but they are only empty words—‘I have a plan and strength for the war.’ Now on whom have you relied, that you have revolted against me? ²¹ Now behold, you have relied on the support of this broken reed, on Egypt; on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. That is how Pharaoh king of Egypt is to all who rely on him.

²² However, if you say to me, ‘We have trusted in the Lord our God,’ is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has removed, and has said to Judah and to Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem’? ²³ Now then, come make a wager with my master the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses, if you are able on your part to put riders on them! ²⁴ How then can you drive back even one official of the least of my master’s servants, and rely on Egypt for chariots and horsemen? ²⁵ Have I now come up without the Lord’s approval against this place to destroy it? The Lord said to me, ‘Go up against this land and destroy it.” (2 Kings 18)

Note: How do evils words taunt?  You are weak.  You are foolish.  God is on my side.  God will not listen or hear your voice

So, King Hezekiah quickly saw his error and humbly bowed before God.

2 Kings 19:

Now when King Hezekiah heard the report, he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and entered the house of the Lord. ² Then he sent Eliakim, who was in charge of the household, with Shebna the scribe and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz.

He prayed and he sought a prayer partner in Isaiah.

³ And they said to him, “This is what Hezekiah says: ‘This day is a day of distress, rebuke, and humiliation; for children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to deliver them. ⁴ Perhaps the Lord your God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to taunt the living God, and will avenge the words which the Lord your God has heard. Therefore, offer a prayer for the remnant that left.’”

God answers:

⁵ So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. ⁶ And Isaiah said to them, “This is what you shall say to your master: ‘The Lord says this: “Do not be fearful because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. ⁷ Behold, I am going to put a spirit in him so that he will hear news and return to his own land. And I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.”’”

The Enemy Pushes Even Harder

So the King of Assyria sends a note to King Hezekiah, mocking God and saying no one can save you.  Hezekiah then took the note.  Went into the house of God and laid the note before the Lord.  He took his case directly to God.

“Lord, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. ¹⁶ Incline Your ear, Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, Lord, and see; and listen to the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to taunt the living God. ¹⁷ It is true, Lord; the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands, ¹⁸ and have hurled their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but only the work of human hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them. ¹⁹ But now, Lord our God, please, save us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, Lord, are God.”  2 Kings 19 (NASB)

Notice King Hezekiah did not pray for his own glory.  Instead, he prayed that God’s glory might be displayed among all the nations.  Why?  So they might all know God Alone is Lord God Almighty who rules over all of heaven and earth. 

And when he prayed this prayer,

it happened that night that the angel of the Lord went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians; and when the rest got up early in the morning, behold, all of the 185,000 were dead. ³⁶ So Sennacherib the king of Assyria departed and returned home, and lived at Nineveh. ³⁷ Then it came about, as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with the sword; and they escaped to the land of Ararat. And his son Esarhaddon became king in his place. 2 Kings 19

One angel, 185,000 skilled soldiers, one night.  Think of what God’s host of angels can do.

Joyfully Trust God in a Crazy Upside-Down World

While all that was going on, somewhere in the middle of the chaos.  King Hezekiah fell ill.  In fact, so ill that Isaiah came with a word from the Lord. 

“This is what the Lord says: ‘Set your house in order, for you are going to die and not live.’” 2 Kings 20:1 NASB

Imagine this.  This is not the Doctor telling him he is going to die.  This is God.  And this is despite all he has done to restore the kingdom to God.  But, we are told in 2 Chronicles that God did this to test him. 

God left him alone only to test him, so that He might know everything that was in his heart.  2 Chronicles 32: 31 (NASB). 

Why would God allow trials in our life?

God is more concerned with transforming our heart than he is with everything always looking good on the outside.  So, the illness was a test.  But after King Hezekiah prayed, not only did God grant him 15 more years.  He also presented a sign in which the shadow of the sun went back 10 steps.  Well, the Babylonians noted this and came to check out this King of Judah.  After all they worshiped the god of the sun and wanted to see how this miracle happened.  But this miracle left King Hezekiah a little puffed up.  After all God did all this for him. He must be special in the eyes of God. He took his eyes off God and placed them on himself as well as the gift he was given by God.  Again a mistake. 

For that reason, he proudly boasted and showed the entourage from Babylon everything that he owned including the gold in the temple.  What he failed to do was introduce the Babylonian entourage to Yahweh or to ask Isaiah to join them.  How do I know it was an act of pride?  The Bible says so.

Be Quick to Repent

²⁴ In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill; and he prayed to the Lord, and the Lord spoke to him and gave him a sign. ²⁵ But Hezekiah did nothing in return for the benefit he received, because his heart was proud; therefore, wrath came upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem. ²⁶ However, Hezekiah humbled the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord did not come on them in the days of Hezekiah.  2 Chronicles 32 (NASB)

Yet, in all of this God remained faithful and true. Also, King Hezekiah sought after God. Is that not hope filled for you and for me? Though we may fail God at times, His arms are open wide when we humbly turn our eyes to Jesus and repent, truly repent.

And so it was, King Hezekiah is known for his ability to joyously trust God in the middle of a crazy upside-down world because he knew the secret of an intimate relationship with God through prayer, humility, and repentance.  Later the Babylonians would conquer Assyria and then Judah, but that would wait for many years and did not happen during King Hezekiah’s life. So, let us learn to seek God with all our hearts, to trust Him, and to humbly bow before Him in prayer. 

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.

Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

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Previously

How Absolutely the Truth and Power of the Word of God Changes You

DISCLOSURES

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2023Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Credits

New King James Version (NKJV)Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

New Living Translation (NLT)Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

English Standard Version (ESV)The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

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