DIVINE JUDGMENT
“Surely at the commandment of the LORD this came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done” (2 Kings 24:3 NKJV).
There are three things that are said about Divine judgment in this verse - the command for judgment, the character of judgment, and the cause of judgment. Although written over 2500 years ago and applied to Judah, the principle is also applicable to us today.
Command for judgment – “Surely at the commandment of the Lord this came upon Judah.” God is indeed a loving God, but He is also a holy God and will not tolerate sin. Therefore, when people sin as did Judah, God commanded that judgment come upon them. And what God commands, will be done. Men may laugh at the idea of Divine judgment; but when they experience it, the laughing will stop.
Character of judgment – “This.” In order to understand what “this” was all about, one has to read verse 3 in context. The context tells us that “this” especially involved the destruction of Jerusalem and the dispersion of the people into captivity. Thus the judgment was severe, but it was just. All judgment of God is just. It fits the crime. God’s court will always be equitable.
Cause of judgment – “Because of the sins of Manasseh.” The reference here is not just to Manasseh but to a group of sins which had been designated as “the sins of Manasseh.” According to one commentator, there were four main categories of sins which were included in “the sins of Manasseh” –
Idolatry and its licentious rites
Child murder especially in regards to the sacrifices to Moloch
Sodomy, and
The use of enchantments and magical arts.
These sins are very popular in our land, too. Idolatry and its licentious rites speak of our anti-God attitudes and immorality that plagues our land. Child murder is what abortion is all about. Sodomy has become a very strong influence in our society and is defended by many. And the occult is very strong as evidenced by the fact that nearly every newspaper has an astrology column. Divine judgment is headed our way if people do not repent.
(Adapted from Butler Daily Bible Reading)
Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)
Quotation of the Week
“The harvest of judgment is sure as soon as the seed of sin is sown!”
Anonymous
Word Study
Destroy
In Acts 3:23 we read, “And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people!” (NKJV)
Destroy is the Greek word exolothreuo (εξολοθρευω = ex-ol-oth-ryoo-o). It is made up of two words: ‘ex’ which intensifies meaning, and 'olothreuo' which means to destroy. Thus the word means to destroy out of its place, destroy utterly, to extirpate (be rooted out). This word occurs only once in the New Testament, here in Acts 3:23 where Peter is quoting from Lev. 23:29. On the other hand, this word is very common in the Septuagint and in other Jewish and Christian writings. Several times in the Septuagint it is said that the unrighteous person “will be cut off from his people.” Exolothreuo is also the word used to describe how Israel was to utterly destroy the Canaanites (cf. Judges 1:17; 2:3).
Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus
Old Testament Prophecy – That he would be worshiped by wise men and presented with gifts (Psalm 72:10; Isa. 60:3, 6, 9)
New Testament Fulfillment – Matt. 2:11
Bible Facts
Joy and gladness understood – “Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness” (Acts 14:17). Evolution cannot explain emotions. Matter and energy do not f eel. Scripture explains that God places gladness in our hearts (Psalm 4:7), and ultimate joy is found only in our Creator’s presence – “In Your presence is fullness of joy” (Psalm 16:11).
Bible Quiz
What surprised a Pharisee when Jesus ate dinner at his house?
**Answer to last week’s trivia: Who led the Israelites into Canaan? Joshua (Josh. 1:2)
That’s in the Bible
“Two heads are better that one”
“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor” (Eccl. 4:9 NKJV).
Anybody working on a project knows that it is usually a good idea to have the opinion of others to help us make a decision. One head, i.e. our own is not good enough, and that is the meaning of this expression. This verse probably refers to the subject of marriage and how ‘two heads are better than one’ when it comes to coping together with life’s problems.
Did You Know – Christian History
William Williams was born February 11, 1717 at Cefn-coed farm in the parish of Llanfair-ar-y-bryn, near the town of Llandovery, Wales. Williams is generally acknowledged as Wales’s most famous hymn writer. As a writer of both poetry and prose, he is today considered one of the greatest literary figures of Wales. He is also equally distinguished in the world of religion, as one of the key leaders of the 18th Century Welsh Methodist revival, along with Howell Harris and Daniel Rowland.
William had been preparing to be a clergyman in the high church. However, after hearing Welsh evangelist Howell Harris (18th Century contemporary of John and Charles Wesley) preach, he decided to become an evangelical minister. Further, because there were so few hymns in the Welsh tongue, Harris sponsored hymn-writing contests. Williams took the prize of popular opinion.
Taking all of Wales as his parish, Williams for forty-three years traveled almost 100,000 miles on horseback, preaching and singing the gospel in the Welsh language. Williams was a persuasive preacher, and his hymns were influential. He wrote about 800 of them. Because of these Christian songs, he was sometimes called “The Isaac Watts of Wales.”
Throughout their history, the Welsh have been great singers; and hymns have been among their favorite songs. One of their most popular hymns written by William Williams is “Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah.” Crowds at rugby matches and other gatherings have been known to break out singing it. Published in 1745, the original title was “Strength to Pass Through the Wilderness.” In it Williams compares the pilgrimage of the Christian life to Israel’s forty years of wandering in the desert wilderness. Guided by the fiery and cloudy pillar, feeding on the manna or bread of heaven, the Christian would eventually come to the edge of Jordan and pass on to Canaan’s shores.
Though William never left his native Wales, his beloved hymn has influenced Christians throughout the world. Originally written in Welsh, it has been translated into over seventy languages
A Little Humor
A certain man made a visit to one of his relatives in a far country who welcomed him and invited him to a church service the following day. The man had never been to a church. During the service, the pastor requested the visitors to stand up and he stood. After mentioning his name and where he came from, the pastor asked him whether he knows Jesus and he replied, “Pastor, I am still new in this place. I do not know anyone here!”
Thought Provoking Church Sign
“Sin puts hell into the soul and the soul into hell!!”
