II Kings 23

Renewed commitment to the covenantverses 1-3

And the king sent – and they gathered to him

all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem

And the king went up into the house of the LORD

and all the men of Judah

and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him

and the priests – and the prophets – and all the people

both small and great

and he READ in their ears

all the words of the book of the covenant

which was found in the house of the LORD

and the king stood by the pillar

and made a covenant before the LORD

to WALK after the LORD

and to KEEP HIS commandments – testimonies

statutes with all their heart

soul – to PERFORM the words of this covenant

that were written in this book

And all the people stood to the covenant

King Josiah removed all pagan worshipverses 4-7

And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest

and the priests of the second order

and the keepers of the door

to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD

all the vessels that were made for Baal

for the grove

for all the host of heaven

and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron

and carried the ashes of them unto Beth-el

and he put down the idolatrous priests

whom the kings of Judah had ordained

to burn incense in the high places

in the cities of Judah

and in the places round about Jerusalem

them also that burned incense unto Baal

to the sun – to the moon – to the planets

to all the host of heaven

and he brought out the grove from the house of the LORD

without Jerusalem – unto the brook Kidron

and burned it at the brook Kidron

and stamped it small to powder

and cast the powder thereof on the graves

of the children of the people

and he broke down the houses of the sodomites

that were by the house of the LORD

where the women wove hangings for the grove

King Josiah removed false worship centersverses 8-9

And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah

and defiled the high places where the priests

had burned incense from Geba to Beer-sheba

and brake down the high places of the gates

that were in the entering in of the gates of Joshua

the governor of the city

which were on a man’s left hand

at the gate of the city

Nevertheless the priests of the high places

came not up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem

but they did eat of the unleavened bread

among their brethren

King Josiah removed all worship to the sunverses 10-11

And he defiled Topheth

which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom

that no man might make his son or his daughter

to pass through the fire to Molech

And he took away the horses that the kings of Judah

had given to the sun at the entering in the

house of the LORD

by the chamber of Nathan-melech the chamberlain

which was in the suburbs

and burned the chariots of the sun with fire

King Josiah destroyed all areas of false worshipverses 12-14

And the altars that were on the top of the upper chamber of Ahaz

which the kings of Judah had made

And the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the

house of the LORD – did the king beat down

and brake them down from thence

and cast the dust of them into

the brook Kidron

and the high places that were before Jerusalem

which were on the right hand of the

mount of corruption

which Solomon the king of Israel had built

for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians

for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites

for Milcom the abomination of the

children of Ammon did the king defile

and he brake in pieces the images – and cut down the groves

and filled their places with the bones of men

Fulfilled prophecy regarding Beth-el altarverses 15-16

Moreover the altar that was at Beth-el

and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat

who made Israel to sin – had made

both that altar and the high place he broke down

and burned the high place

and stamped it small to powder

and burned the grove

And as Josiah turned himself

he spied the sepulchers that were there in the mount

and sent and took the bones out of the sepulchers

and burned them upon the altar – and polluted it

according to the word of the LORD

which the man of God proclaimed

who proclaimed these words

King Josiah leaves grave of prophet aloneverses 17-18

Then he said – What title is that that I see?

and the men of the city told him

It is the sepulcher of the man of God – which came from Judah

and proclaimed these things that thou have done against the

altar of Beth-el

And he said

Let him alone

Let no man move his bones

So they let his bones alone with the bones of the prophet

that came out of Samaria

King Josiah destroys worship centers in Samariaverses 19-20

And all the houses also of the high places

that were in the cities of Samaria

which the kings of Israel had made

to provoke the LORD to anger

Josiah took away – and did to them according to all the acts

that he had done in Beth-el – and he slew all the

priests of the high places that were there

upon the altars and burned men’s bones

upon them

and returned to Jerusalem

King Josiah celebrated the Passoververses 21-23

And the king commanded all the people

saying

Keep the Passover to the LORD your God

as it is written in the book of this covenant

Surely there was not held such a Passover

from the days of the judges that judged Israel

nor in all the days of the kings of Israel

nor of the kings of Judah

But in the eighteenth year of king Josiah

wherein this Passover was held to the LORD

in Jerusalem

King Josiah completely committed to LORDverses 24-25

Moreover the workers with familiar spirits

wizards – images – idols

all the abominations that were spied in the land

of Judah and in Jerusalem

did Josiah put away that he might perform the words of the law

which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest

found in the house of the LORD

And like to him was there no king before him

that turned to the LORD with all his heart – soul – might

according to all the law of Moses

neither after him arose there any like him

LORD still angry over the sins of Manassehverses 26-27

Notwithstanding the LORD turned not

from the fierceness of HIS great wrath

wherewith HIS anger was kindled against Judah

because of all the provocations that Manasseh had

provoked HIM withal

And the LORD

said

I will remove Judah also out of MY sight

as I have removed Israel

and will cast off this city Jerusalem

which I have chosen

and the house of which I said

MY name shall be there

Record of Josiah’s deeds in Chroniclesverse 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?

King Josiah dies in battle with Egyptverses 29-30

In his days Pharaoh-nechoh king of Egypt went up against

the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates

and king Josiah went against him

and he slew him at Megiddo

when he had seen him

And his servants carried him in a chariot dead from Megiddo

and brought him to Jerusalem

and buried him in his own sepulcher

And the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah

and anointed him

and made him king in his father’s stead

Jehoahaz has evil reign for three monthsverses 31-32

Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign

and he reigned three MONTHS in Jerusalem

and his mother’s name was Hamutal

the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah

and he did that which was EVIL in the sight of the LORD

according to all that his fathers had done

Pharaoh Neco removes Jehoahazverse 33

And Pharoah-nechoh put him in bands at Riblah in the land of Hamath

that he might not reign in Jerusalem – and put the land to a tribute

of an hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold

Pharaoh Neco places Eliakim [Jehoiakim] as kingverse 34

And Pharoah-nechoh

made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the room of Josiah

his father – and turned his name to Jehoiakim

and took Jehoahaz away

and he came to Egypt – and died there

Jehoiakim requires taxes of peopleverse 35

And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh

but he taxed the land to give the money

according to the commandment of Pharaoh

he exacted the silver and the gold

of the people of the land

of every one according to his taxation

to give it unto Pharoah-nechoh

Jehoiakim evil reign lasted eleven yearsverses 36-37

Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign

and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem

and his mother’s name was Zebudah

the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah

and he did that which was EVIL in the sight of the LORD

according to all that his fathers had done

COMMENTARY:

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers

: 2 And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the LORD. (7121 “read” [qara] means to call, to shout, appoint, to say out loud something that is written, invoke, proclaim, or summon)

DEVOTION: It is thought that the book of the covenant was the book of Deuteronomy. It was found in the Temple while they were remodeling it after years of neglect. Once they found it the king reacted after reading it with repentance.

Now it was the turn of the people of Jerusalem to read and repent of their sins. They were all gathered to the Temple and heard the reading of the Book of the Covenant. With the reading of this book there was reform that was needed in each person and each home and throughout the nation. This did happen.

Today we need to have the same events happen in our life. We need to find the Word of God and read it and then act on it in repentance and service. Too many homes have bibles in them that are never read. Each Sunday many who claim Christ come to church without a Bible in their hand. It is put up on the screen to make it easier for the people to read. This means that they don’t get to mark their Bible and write notes in their Bibles to help them remember where the pastor was preaching from each Sunday.

Then the Bible is taken home if it is even carried and won’t be opened until the next Sunday. This is not what the LORD expects of HIS people. HE expects us to read HIS Word daily. HE expects us to meditate on HIS Word daily. HE expects us to share HIS Word with others daily.

HE wants us to hide HIS Word in our heart that we will sin less against HIM. HIS goal is to use the Bible to help us mature in the faith, so that, we can teach others to mature in the faith. This will only happen if we are reading HIS Word daily and asking the Holy Spirit to instruct us in the proper application of what we are reading.

Josiah knew the proper application. There needed to be reform in the nation. It was through the application of the Word of God that the people could repent and live for the LORD faithfully.

CHALLENGE: Are we reading the Bible daily to mature in the faith????

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers

: 7 And he broke down the houses of the sodomites that were by the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the grove. (5422 “broke down” [nathats] means to tear down, pull down, to cause to fall or collapse, to destroy, demolish, shattered, or make physical impact on an object which results in its destruction)

DEVOTION: Can you imagine going outside of a church to find that the local prostitutes were there with tents to have their relationships with anyone coming out of church who wanted to engage in such activity.

This is what was happening in the days of Josiah. The kingdom had fallen to this point where those who were entering and leaving the Temple area had to walk right by those who were prostitutes for a pagan god. It was right outside a place dedicated to the LORD who had delivered Israel from so many challenges.

Josiah had these tents taken down and there were other things there that were not honoring the LORD but used to worship other pagan gods.

Now imagine going into a church building and seeing all this going on inside a place that was set apart for the worship of the LORD. Could some of our church services that are held inside the church not be honoring to the LORD but to those who were against the LORD.

I have been in churches where there were stories told about things that are not even found in the Bible. I have heard book reports concerning secular authors from the pulpit instead of the preaching of the Word of God. Many of you have attended places that were set up to worship the LORD and there was no worship going on for Jesus Christ.

When we enter a place of worship it should be to worship the LORD who came to die on the cross for our sins. We need to celebrate HIS actions on our behalf not worship men or achievements of men.

CHALLENGE: We have to make sure we are worshiping the Creator of the universe and not one of HIS creations.

: 16 And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchers that were there in the mount, and sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchers, and burned them on the altar, and polluted it, according to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words. (7121 “proclaimed” [qara] means to call, to shout, to name, appoint, to state or announce something formally and authoritatively, utter a loud sound, or invoke)

DEVOTION: We find that any man of God would state what the LORD wanted done in a given situation. Here we have the situation of false worship being done in the land. God doesn’t like to share worship with anyone or anything.

It seems that humans have the habit of trying to make their own gods and worship them as if they were worshiping a true god. This is not true just because they believed it was true. They were believing a lie. Satan likes to convince people that they are OK if they do any type of worship. He is a liar and the father of lies.

Now we find that Josiah is a good king who wants to clean up the land of all false worship. It is not an easy task but he is willing to do it because he knows that it would please the LORD and cause HIM to bless the nation.

We have to believe the same truth that he believed. God wants us to worship only HIM alone. HE wants everyone to know that HE is the only TRUE God. This is something that is hard to do in our present day as people what to have a god that fits into their way of thinking. They are still trying to worship but not the true God of the Bible.

It is a challenge to help people understand the difference between a god they make themselves and the ONE TRUE GOD.

We need men and women like Josiah who are willing to turn their backs on the false gods of this world and not allow them into their homes and not worship at the places that worship them.

Sometimes it is not easy to spot a false god but if we continue in the Bible we will find out the difference and it won’t be as hard as we make it to be. Once we find the TRUE GOD of the Bible we need to announce it to the world.

CHALLENGE: We have to examine the God we are worshiping to see if it is the one TRUE GOD of the Bible.

DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers

: 22 Surely there was not holden such a Passover from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah (6453 “Passover” [pecach] means festival to celebrate passing over of the angel of death in Egypt, a sparing, immunity from penalty and calamity, the paschal lamb sacrifice, festival celebrating deliverance from Egypt, to pass over, or pretermission)

DEVOTION: The reason for the celebration of this festival was to remind the children of Israel what the LORD had done for them in Egypt. It was a great deliverance of the people. They took great treasures out of Egypt with them. They were all spared after the Egyptian army chased them to the Rea Sea. The LORD killed the whole Egyptian army while they were in the middle of the Red Sea. They sang a song made up by Miriam regarding this great event.

Each first month of each year they were to commemorate the event with an annual celebration of their deliverance. It was a reminder of how great a God Jehovah was in the past and how HE can be just as great in the present. We celebrate Jesus Christ as our paschal lamb that took our sins away on the cross through the shedding of HIS blood for us.

We are to remember the lesson the children of Israel were to learn because of what happened in Egypt and we are to do the same as we remember what Christ did on the cross for us.

Israel had stopped celebrating this festival because they were not concerned about remembering the LORD and all HE had done for them in the past. Both kingdoms had stopped celebrating. Now it was time to start again under a king that loved the LORD. It was a great celebration under the leadership of Josiah.

Are we celebrating the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross for our sins on a regular basis? Are we teaching our children and grandchildren to celebrate our deliverance from the grip of Satan? Are we thankful for all the LORD has provided for us as we continue to live for HIM daily?

We celebrate Christmas to remember HIS birth. We celebrate Easter to remember HIS resurrection from the dead. Have these two events lost their meeting today? Only we can share the true meanings of these two events that are on our calendar.

CHALLENGE: Faithfulness to the LORD’S commands regarding our thankfulness in celebrating the true meaning of Christmas and Easter with our family and friends.

: 25 And like unto him was there no king before him, that 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; neither after him arose there any like him. (7725 “turned” [shuwb] means return, retreat, home again, convert, pull in again, recall, recover, refresh, restore, or retrieve)

DEVOTION: Here we have a comparison of this king to all the kings before him. He stands out as the most faithful king of Israel. He is one who served the LORD will all his heart, soul and might.

He was one who reformed Judah in a time right after a bad king. How can a son be so much more spiritual than his father? He was only eight years old when he became king. What caused him to restore a proper relationship with the LORD? It was the reading of the Word of the LORD. They found the book of the covenant in the temple as they were repairing it. Once he heard the word of the LORD, he was changed. The Bible has that effect on people.

We have a group today that puts Bibles in hotels, hospitals and jails. They give them out to the military and at schools. We have people who take Bibles into nations that don’t allow the Bible to be printed. We know of places where people pass pages of the Bible around so everyone can have a page to read of the Bible. The Bible tells us that the word of the LORD will not return void.

This is the best king Judah had in all its history. This king restored worship to its rightful place in all of Israel. He had to make major reforms. He reestablished the celebration of the Passover.

All those who worshiped false gods were killed. The altars were torn down. The places of false worship that Solomon had established were torn down. The place where Jeroboam set up calf worship were torn down. He cleaned up not only Judah but went to Samaria and cleaned it up.

When it was all said and done the LORD was still angry with the Israelites because of the sins of Manasseh. Even with great revival there can come judgment for past sins.

Those who are the followers of the LORD can follow faithfully one time and be unfaithful so quick. The LORD understands this but HE still wants us to understand that HE does not approve of it. The kings that followed Josiah were evil in HIS sight. It didn’t take long for them to return to their sinful habits.

A leader needs to stand for what is right, no matter what. Are we standing for what is right in our country today? Can we pull our world back again to the LORD? Are we honoring the Word of God with a daily reading???? The Word of God can cleanse the soul. Which way are we turning????

CHALLENGE: No matter what is going on around us we need to be faithful to the LORD. Our guide has to be the Word of God. Allow it to cleanse your soul each day.

DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:

BODY

Chastity (Purity in living)

Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)

Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)

Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)

Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)

SOUL

Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)

Frugality (wise use of resources)

Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)

Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)

Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)

SPIRIT

Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)

Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)

Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)

Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)

Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)

House of the LORDverses 2-7

Priests

Prophets

All the people

Reading of the Words of the LORDverse 2

Hilkiah – high priestverses 4, 24

Priestsverse 4

Templeverse 4

Altar of the LORDverse 9

Passoververses 21-23

DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:

Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)

Book of the covenantverses 2, 3, 21, 24

Commandmentsverse 3

Testimoniesverse 3

Statutes verse 3

Word of the LORDverse 16

Words of the Lawverse 24

Law of Mosesverse 25

Book of Chroniclesverse 28

God the Father (First person of the Godhead)

LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal)verses 2-4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 21, 23-27, 32, 37

House of the LORDverses 2, 6, 7, 11

Temple of the LORDverse 4

Altar of the LORDverse 9

God – Elohim (Creator)verses 16, 17, 21

LORD your Godverse 21

Fierceness of HIS wrathverse 26

Remove Judah out of HIS sightverse 27

Sight of the LORDverses 32, 37

God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)

God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)

Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)

Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)

Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)

Zidoniansverse 13

Moabitesverse 13

Ammonverse 13

Pharaoh- nechohverses 29, 33-35

King of Assyriaverse 29

Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)

Baal worshipverses 4, 5

Grove worshipverses 4, 6, 14, 15

Host of heaven worshipverses 4, 5, 11

Sun- moon-planets – host of heaven

Idolatrous priestsverses 5, 24

High placesverses 5, 8, 9, 13-15, 19, 20

Sodomitesverse 7

Wove hanging for the groveverse 7

Molech worshipverse 10

Sun godverse 11

Mount of corruptionverse 13

Ashtoreth worshipverse 13

Chemosh worship (Moabites)verse 13

Milcom worship (Ammon)verse 13

Altar of Beth-elverse 15

Provoke the LORD to angerverse 19

Workers with familiar spiritsverse 24

Workers with wizardsverse 24

Workers with imagesverse 24

Abominationsverse 24

Provocations of Manassehverse 26

Evil in the sight of the LORDverses 32, 37

Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)

Read words of the book of the covenantverse 2

Make a covenantverse 3

Walk after the LORDverse 3

Keep commandments of the LORDverse 3

Keep testimonies of the LORDverse 3

Keep statutes of the LORD verse 3

Keep them with all our heart and soulverse 3

Perform the words covenant verse 3

Respect the reading of the Word of Godverse 3

Burn all religious items dedicated to false godsverse 4

Break altars made to false gods in Templeverse 12

Man of Godverses 16, 17

Proclaimedverse 17

Prophetverse 18

Keep the Passoververses 21-23

Turn to the LORD with heart-soul-mightverse 25

Chosenverse 27

Anointedverse 30

Israel (Old Testament people of God)

Josiah – king of Judahverses 1-30

Walk in the covenant of the LORD

Keep commandments

Keep testimonies

Keep statutes

Defiled Topheth in valley of children of Hinnom

Broke down false altars from court of house of the LORD

Bones out of sepulchers and burned them

Killed the priests of the high places

Ordered people to keep the Passover

Turned his heart, soul and might

to the LORD

Acts written in the book of the

Chronicles of the kings of Judah

Slew by king of Egypt

Elders of Judah and Jerusalemverse 1

All the people went to house of the LORDverses 2, 3

Stood to the covenant

Put down the idolatrous priests

Ahazverse 12

Manassehverse 12

Solomonverse 13

Jerboam – son of Nebatverse 15

Man of God against altar in Bethelverses 17, 18

Jehoahaz – son of Josiah anointedverses 30-34

23 years old when he was king

Reigned 3 months

Did evil in sight of the LORD

Eliakim – son of Josiahverses 34-37

Renamed: Jehoiakim

25 years old when he began to reign

Reigned 11 years

Gave money to Pharoah

Evil in the sight of the LORD

Church (New Testament people of God)

Last Things (Future Events)

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QUOTES regarding passage

According to Ex 12, the Passover was to be celebrated at the full moon in the first month of the year (Abib = March/April). On the tenth day of the month every family chose a one-year-old lamb, a male, and one without blemish. This lamb was killed at the twilight on the 14th, and its blood was sprinkled over the two doorposts and the lintel of the house where it was eaten. On the following day, the 15th, the feast of unleavened bread began. Note that it is a domestic ceremony originally without reference to any central sanctuary or priestly involvement. Interestingly, it was very advantageous for the Israelites to leave Egypt on the night of a full moon.

The critical theory regarding the relationship between Passover and Unleavened Bread is as follows. Originally, both were separate feasts, Passover a nomadic shepherd’s rite, and Unleavened Bread a Canaanite agricultural feast. Subsequently the two were historicized (by being connected with the Exodus) and coalesced, or reestablished (Kraus), in the time of Josiah as a consequence of the centralization of worship. This, of course, is speculation. Hezekiah celebrated a great Passover (II Chr 30, where it is also called the Feast of Unleavened Bread). Solomon celebrated the three annual feasts (Unleavened Bread, Weeks, and Tabernacles, II Chr 8:13). The silence of the books of Samuel and Kings is not a valid argument against the early date of the Passover. None of the prophets except Ezekiel (only Ezk 45:21) mention either the Passover or the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Even Jeremiah passes over Josiah’s great celebration in silence, a silence that proves nothing.

Jesus celebrated this feast (Mt 26:2, 18). Christ is the ‘Passover’ for the Christian (I Cor 5:7 and also Jn 1:20, I Pt 1:19). (Hamilton, V. P. (1999). 1786 פָּסַח. (R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke, Eds.)Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. Chicago: Moody Press.)

Fourth, Josiah demolishes the living quarters of “male shrine prostitutes,” literally, “the separate ones” (haqqĕdēšîm) where materials for Asherah are also made. Since the text mentions both males and females, perhaps all these individuals engage in sacred prostitution, a common element in Baalism. (House, P. R. (1995). 1, 2 Kings (Vol. 8, p. 388). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)

2 Kings 23:7. בָּתֵּי הַקְּדֵשִׁים, the houses (places of abode) of the paramours (for הקדשים see at 1 Kings 14:24), were probably only tents or huts, which were erected in the court of the temple for the paramours to dwell in, and in which there were also women who wove tent-temples (בָּתִּים) for Asherah (see at 2 Kings 17:30).( Keil, C. F., & Delitzsch, F. (1996). Commentary on the Old Testament (Vol. 3, p. 343). Peabody, MA: Hendrickson.)

Male shrine prostitutes, who served as part of the pagan worship, had set up tents in the temple courtyard. These Josiah tore down as he did the shelters that had been erected there where female idolaters wove materials used in some way in the worship of Asherah. (Constable, T. L. (1985). 2 Kings. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 582). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

23:7 houses. Tents (called “Succoth-benoth” in 17:30) used by women who were devoted to Asherah, in which they made hangings and committed sexual sins. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (2 Ki 23:7). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)

Ver. 7. And he brake down the houses of the Sodomites that were by the house of the Lord, &c.] Near the temple were apartments, in which men, the worshippers of idols, prostituted their bodies to each other; committing that unnatural sin with one another, which has its name from Sodom, and from which those are so called, and which sin they committed in honour of the idols they worshipped; to such vile affections were they, in a judicial manner, delivered up, because of their idolatry; see Rom. 1:27, 28. the word signifies holy ones, they being called so by an antiphrasis; though Abarbinel thinks these were the idolatrous priests, whom the worshippers of idols reckoned holy, and so built houses for them near the temple to lodge in; the Targum is, “and broke down the houses of things consecrated to idols,” where they were put; and Theodoret on the place observes, that by an homonymy, they called the demons or idols themselves holy ones; and it is not likely, indeed, that the Sodomites should be where the women wove hangings for the grove; that is, for Astarte, as the same writer observes: or curtains, as the Jewish writers generally interpret it, in which either the idol was enclosed, or these made apartments for the idolaters to commit their abominable wickedness privately; though the Syriac and Arabic versions are, “they wove garments for the idols that were there;” and so the Septuagint version, of the Complutensian edition; that is, they wove garments for the goddess Astarte, which they dressed her with: the word signifies houses, and may mean the shrines of the idol made of woven work. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 2, pp. 837–838). London: Mathews and Leigh.)

FROM MY READING:

(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)

Phebe sends:

Thought for the day: A Boy asked his Father:- Dad what is the size of GOD? Then the Father looked up at the Sky and saw a Plane and asked his Son:- What is the size of this Plane? The Boy replied:- it is very small. I can hardly see it. Then, the father took him to the airport and as they approached a plane, he asked: – Now, my Son, how big is this Plane? The boy replied:- Wow dad, it’s huge! Then the father told him:- GOD’s size depends on how close or far you are to him. The closer you are to him, the Greater and Greater he will be in your life! That is the truth. Your intimacy will show you the greatness of GOD

False teachers are viewed gravely in the Scriptures. Perhaps the most scathing rebukes and most unthinkable punishments are articulated against these “wolves in sheep’s clothing.” Why are they dealt with so harshly? Because while refusing salvation themselves, they also keep others from it. It is like a drowning man who not only refuses to accept a lifesaver, but also insists on drowning someone else with him. We must take great care to accurately teach the truth and shun those who do not. (Quiet Walk)

Ruth 1 A Jewess, Naomi, and her two daughters-in-law lose their husbands.

INSIGHT

In Ruth, we see one of the most stirring examples of loyalty in the Bible. In spite of Naomi’s urgings to the contrary, Ruth stays with her, looking not for personal fulfillment or material comfort but longing merely to maintain the relationship with one whom she loves. This loyalty comes from a pure heart, and it is not surprising that it extends not just to Naomi but also to the Lord.

In stark contrast to Samson, Ruth’s selflessness leads to beauty, fulfillment, and seeking the good of others. We should take instruction for our own lives and live as Ruth, not as Samson.

WHY JESUS CAME

He that hath seen me hath seen the Father. John 14:9
Christ came into this world in order that we might know God as our Father. So how does He reveal the Father to us? Well, I am just asking a question that introduces us to the four Gospels. Go back again to the New Testament, and quietly and simply read them with the idea in your mind that we are supposed to know God as Father.
Ask yourself, do I know Him like that; have I ever known Him as Father? There in the Gospels you will find that Christ revealed Him in His own life by living a spotless, sinless life. At the end He turned to His accusers and said, “Can anybody point a finger at Me? Can you convict Me of any failure with regard to God or the law?” His life was unique; it was perfect. He revealed God by being what He was.
Then He revealed God in His actions, His miracles—raising people from the dead, healing the sick, giving sight to the blind. Take these things out of the New Testament and what is left? It is an essential part; it is God in the flesh. It is not difficult to expect miracles if God incarnate is here, and that is what He claims to be. Look at Him in the things He does.
Similarly, He reveals the Father in His teaching. He put it like this: “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” Just before the end, Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us” (John 14:8). In essence, “You say You are going to leave us. Please don’t until You have revealed the Father to us. That is the one thing we want to know. We have had a vague belief in God, but we want to know Him as Father.” In essence, our Lord answered, “Look at Me, Philip—look at My life and My actions. Look at Me, and if you do so and see Me truly, you have seen the Father.”
A Thought to Ponder: It is not difficult to expect miracles if God incarnate is here.
(From The Heart of the Gospel, pp. 127-128, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd- Jones)

The Perfect Priesthood of Christ
“If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood…what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?” (Hebrews 7:11)
As good as the Levitical priest system was, it was imperfect and the priesthood would need to be changed. Jesus Christ became the perfect priest who would never change.
Hebrews 7 describes the old priesthood as mortal: “And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered [allowed] to continue by reason of death” (v. 23). There would no doubt be some breakdown of knowledge or interest on behalf of a person when his priest moved or died. Not so with the Lord Jesus Christ, “because he continueth ever” (v. 24), and because He is “the Son, who is consecrated for evermore” (v. 28). Therefore, we approach Him with confidence, knowing He “is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them” (v. 25)
The priesthood of men was also fallible. Daily they needed “to offer up sacrifice, first for [their] own sins, and then for the people’s” (v. 27). A system of sinful men offering imperfect animals whose blood was incapable of washing away sins must have left some of the priests longing for something more assuring and fulfilling. Jesus ushered in a priesthood so perfect and infallible that nothing would ever be the same. For Christ “needeth not daily” to offer sacrifices as Levitical priests did, “for this he did once, when he offered up himself” (v. 27). The one-time-only work of Christ was sufficient because of who offered it and what was offered: “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us” (Hebrews 9:12). (RJG, The Institute for Creation Research)

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