As a Man Wipeth a Dish 2 Kings 21:1 – 22:11 ^^^^^^^ ~ The United States of America is very far down a very bad road heading towards revolution; I don’t think anyone can disagree with that. This leg of our Spiritual Safari should give Americans – and the rest of the world - plenty to think about as we will compare the evil and treacherous King Manasseh with the good King Josiah. One of five great revival periods happened in Judah during the administration of Josiah. After our last sensational lesson this chapter will probably be quite a let-down for many of you readers. Even so, we have some more tremendous spiritual lessons to learn – and they are just not easy lessons. We have seen that Hezekiah was the best king to come along since King David. There have been none to compare to him. However, there are some other ways that King Hezekiah compared to David – and they weren’t very good! One of those ways is that King David didn’t do so well as a father – as we clearly saw in our safari – and neither did Hezekiah. Hezekiah’s son, Manasseh, was the very worst king that ever ruled over the southern kingdom of Judah. Let’s just say: he was bad – very – very – a very bad man! Well, his story begins here and it is a total heart-break to see this one hundred eighty degree turnaround for the kingdom of Judah. Now, I realize I am rather dogmatic in my own opinions but if I thought it were any other way then I would be dogmatic about THAT other way! So, with that said, my own private opinion is that I believe the departure of the Shekinah glory - of which Ezekiel was given the vision of - departed out of the temple during the reign of Manasseh! I admit this is purely speculation because I cannot prove it from the Bible – but at this particular time in which we are beginning our study the Shekinah glory was apparently still filling the temple. Well, if the Shekinah glory didn’t leave the temple during the reign of Manasseh then I find nothing afterward that would have caused the physical presence of God to leave the temple! I believe with all my heart that this is the time when the temple became totally desolate. From here until the captivity the temple was completely forsaken of God! ~ XXI 1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mothers name was Hephzibah. ~ Let’s notice that God gave Manasseh ample time to turn to Him! He began reigning when he was just twelve and he sat on the throne until he was sixty seven years old! This terrible king never outgrew his rebellion against God! Actually, he became worse and worse as the years went by! Even so, God is always patient – just like He has been with YOU – and me! God is longsuffering and not willing that any should perish. Well, Manasseh was the son of Hephzibah so we know all about mommy now, too – she was not a very good mother; she takes part of the blame for her son – that’s why her name is mentioned here as is the case with all the kings of Judah. For Manasseh to have worshipped Baal and to be compared to Ahab should tell us all we need to know about the extent of his vile and wicked ways – but God doesn’t leave it at that…. 2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel. 3 For he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made a grove, as did Ahab king of Israel; and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them. ~ Manasseh worshipped Baal, the sun, the planets, the moon, the stars – everything there was to worship this man worshipped – EXCEPT the True and Living God! I’m sure he had as many gods as the Greeks ever dreamed up. Of course, they had Apollo, Diana, Aphrodite, Zeus, Poseidon, Hestia, Hermes, Demeter, Athena, Dionysus, Artemis, Ares, Pluto, Hades, Hephaestus, Tethys, Prometheus – and that’s the short list! I think Hezekiah had five times as many – and he worshipped them all! Now, if you think we have come a long ways in our civilized and sophisticated modern day culture then take a browse through the category of astrology and the horoscope! We’re just as pagan as mankind ever was. There are a lot of people worshipping the host of Heaven today and they don’t even know it! Many modern people build alters in the city – but just as many build them right in the house of the Lord where God has put His Name – just as Manasseh did; honestly, we’re just a shameful group of people, friends…. 4 And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD said, In Jerusalem will I put my name. 5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. 6 And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. 7 And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house, of which the LORD said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever: 8 Neither will I make the feet of Israel move any more out of the land which I gave their fathers; only if they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that my servant Moses commanded them. ~ I think we can all agree that child sacrifice is blatant Satan worship. This is where Judah is given up and this is where God decides very definitely that they are going to go into captivity. They don’t know it yet at this time in which we are studying – but they’re getting ready to do some traveling – right on over to Babylon! God told them that He would put them in the land and they would remain there – IF – IF – IF – they would obey His commandments and His laws and precepts. Well, as we read on here – they didn’t do that…. 9 But they hearkened not: and Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel. 10 And the LORD spake by his servants the prophets, saying, 11 Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols: ~ Not only was Manasseh as bad as the heathen – he was WORSE than any of the heathens around him! I really suggest you take a note or two here my so called Christian friends. We’re talking about the man who led the people of God! God isn’t going to let them stay in that land in that condition! If you don’t think God will judge you and me and punish our sin in this life, my beloved – then someone please write me back and explain this next verse…. 12 Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle. 13 And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab: and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it, and turning it upside down. ~ Not only should your ears be tingling now but your hair should be standing on edge! God did some dish washing which involved turning Judah upside down! God says here that He will wipe His people out of the land just like wiping rotten food out of a bowl! Did you ever stop to think that you are walking on God’s earth? I know you believe you’re very clever and sophisticated – and you may recklessly cite Romans chapter eight verse one – but, before you do, you better make really, really sure you are even in Christ, my friends! You just happen to be breathing God’s air and using his sunshine and rain, too! That’s His food and water you consume; and that’s His body you have been loaned temporarily! God says, every now and then He washes His dishes and cleans up His house! When He does that He doesn’t even think twice about the filth that goes down the drain. Nations throughout the centuries all lie in ruin along the highway of broken dreams. Take a guess why. I’ll tell you why: they did the same things we are doing today as man attempts to live without God. Man says he doesn’t need God. I hate to tell you this but you have that exactly backwards! God doesn’t need YOU – and you’ll do well to consider that completely and think it through to its final conclusion. This next verse might help you process exactly what we’re talking about here…. 14 And I will forsake the remnant of mine inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies; 15 Because they have done that which was evil in my sight, and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers came forth out of Egypt, even unto this day. 16 Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another; beside his sin wherewith he made Judah to sin, in doing that which was evil in the sight of the LORD. ~ When man goes on in his sin he never sins in just one respect – he always sins in MANY – MANY different ways. Not only have we forgotten God today but we have become immoral, rude, hateful, liars, fraudulent and fanatical profanity laced and lawless people who wouldn’t know the truth of what is right if we crashed our cars into it – and we’re terrible drivers, too! If this world thinks we will have law and order without turning back to the Lord Jesus Christ then we are the most idiotic bunch of brainless losers that have ever inhabited this earth at any time in history! We always want to turn the spotlight on the bad things happening in the world but we never seem to turn the spotlight on God! Mankind offers nothing but a negative and preposterous proposition in his philosophies. Manasseh is guilty of murder and guilty of leading many people in his treacherous ways. That’s a pretty bad record to have immediately before your death! ~ 17 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and all that he did, and his sin that he sinned, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 18 And Manasseh slept with his fathers, and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza: and Amon his son reigned in his stead. 19 Amon was twenty and two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. And his mothers name was Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. 20 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his father Manasseh did. 21 And he walked in all the way that his father walked in, and served the idols that his father served, and worshipped them: 22 And he forsook the LORD God of his fathers, and walked not in the way of the LORD. 23 And the servants of Amon conspired against him, and slew the king in his own house. 24 And the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against king Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead. 25 Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 26 And he was buried in his sepulchre in the garden of Uzza: and Josiah his son reigned in his stead. ~ Politicians today have only one goal: to get elected; and many of them are willing to sell their own country and countrymen and give up all of their freedoms and rights just to have a fleeting period of power! We live in dangerous days, my friends. That’s what was going on in Judah and the record of Manasseh and his son Amon are both brief and bad. This brings us to the last of the good and great kings of Judah. Have you noticed how young these kings have been when they began their reign? The main reason for that is because daddy was killed! They were only killed because God removed them from power! Josiah had barely learned the alphabet when he took the throne over! Well, the sun has come out once again and the light shines bright over the land of Judah. Josiah was blessed by seeing a tremendous revival in his days as the result of believing and obeying God! ~ XXII 1 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. And his mothers name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath. 2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left. 3 And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of the LORD, saying, 4 Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may sum the silver which is brought into the house of the LORD, which the keepers of the door have gathered of the people: 5 And let them deliver it into the hand of the doers of the work, that have the oversight of the house of the LORD: and let them give it to the doers of the work which is in the house of the LORD, to repair the breaches of the house, 6 Unto carpenters, and builders, and masons, and to buy timber and hewn stone to repair the house. 7 Howbeit there was no reckoning made with them of the money that was delivered into their hand, because they dealt faithfully. 8 And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. 9 And Shaphan the scribe came to the king, and brought the king word again, and said, Thy servants have gathered the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of them that do the work, that have the oversight of the house of the LORD. 10 And Shaphan the scribe shewed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king. 11 And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes. ~ So, our safari ends today with the Lord’s money being used to support the man who is actually doing something for God! Here is something else you readers really – REALLY need to think about very carefully. If you give to ANY organization or ANY individual who either is not doing anything tangible for God – or that you have not investigated thoroughly and completely – then your giving is shameful and sinful. I don’t care if you feed every single orphan in the world and save every single dog and cat in the Aleutian Islands; not only are you going to answer for your shameful donations but God is not going to use your offerings – do any of you care to write that down? Anyone who is not doing something for the Lord that can be SEEN does not deserve your support at all – and God never blesses them or YOU for giving that way. Yes, I am harping on this point because there is a whole of filthy, shameful giving happening right now by many of you who read these reports. If you are going to turn your money over to anyone it had better be to a man who is a DOER - not a who-knows-what their doing man! Many churches turn in a report that is simply not believable; and they say, ‘’figures don’t lie.’’ Well, figures don’t lie but the men who write them down sure do! The men in this last chapter didn’t even have to give an accounting because they could be trusted. They could be trusted because the people could see what they had done! Oh, my friends, I cannot urge you to figure out what I am trying to say to you now. The first thing they did was to repair the temple. If revival is ever to happen again it will have to happen amongst God’s people. I’ll be honest with you – I see NO evidence that revival will ever happen again in this world. In our next report I am going to take a little bit of type and space talking about revivals because we hear so much about them but we see no evidence – nothing - that will ever make one happen. I will say this in this report: the Bible MUST – MUST – MUST be the basis for revival! If you disagree with that then you just do not believe the Word of God. I know there are a lot of groups who pray for revival but I wish they would spend a little more time in an educated, systematic and sincere Bible study to show that they are sincere in those prayers. Verse eight tells us that Hilkiah found the Book of the Law in the House of the Lord – and, friends – the church is a terrible place to lose the Bible! Unfortunately, that’s where most people do lose it! How many churches in this world today honestly rest on the Word of God and preach it properly, correctly and completely. I know there are a few faithful pastors remaining and I am trying to hold up their hands and support them; but how many pastors have absolutely lost sight of the Lord Jesus Christ? Remember, even Mary and Joseph lost track of Jesus IN THE TEMPLE! In verse eleven the king didn’t get together a group of nice little people and say some nice pious prayers; he didn’t form a flowery little evangelistic campaign with a banquet of fine food. He didn’t call together a conference of all the good little preachers to talk a bunch of sweet talk nonsense about optimism and hope to bring everyone together; no, what he did was he tore his clothes! What YOU and I need to do is get together and hear the Word of God! If we really did that we would bow down on our faces and ask God for forgiveness and repent. If you tell your congregation that this is what they need to do I’ll almost bet they get rid of you – FAST! MANY so called Bible believing churches and outreach organizations today are as far away from the truth of the Bible as anything can possibly be. If the Word of God doesn’t bring CONVICTION to you then you just aren’t interested in the reality God is speaking to you. I hope you will honestly pray for wisdom, judgment and discernment if you have even bothered reading my reports. I have to ask as Isaiah did: who hath believed my report? Frankly, I’m not sure there are many – if any! ~
Posted on: Fri, 12 Dec 2014 01:13:16 +0000
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