by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
By Suellen Estes
II KIngs 22-23
Each man is accountable for himself. That’s obvious when we see each man who comes into power as king of Judah.
Hezekiah turns the nation back to the Lord, and sees great miracles from his God. However, his son, Manasseh, leads a disgusting regime.
You might say that Manasseh was an earlier version of a universalist. He had every kind of religion and every kind of horrible practice was encouraged. Putting children through the fire, making sacrifices to every outlandish god, astrology, witchcraft, divination, spiritualism…you name it, he had it.
Remember the adage we started with: the Old Testament is the New Testament concealed, and the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed. If we don’t look back at these passages with the eyes of a New Testament believer – in other words, with the eyes of the Holy Spirit, we miss a lot.
There is only one true God. We are either worshipping Him in truth, or we are not. When we look back at these chapters in history, we see that God’s plan of a special people who will bring the Deliverer to the world is being diluted and compromised by the cocky, self-centered ones who come into power. They think that they are too smart for God.
Well, they aren’t as smart as they think, and they are digging a hole for their nation.
Thankfully, Josiah arrives on the scene. At eight years old, he has a desire to return the nation to holiness. He tears down all of the shrines to other gods, and reinstitutes the Passover, which has not been celebrated for many years. (How does he know what to do? He reads the Book of the Covenant. How do we know what to do? We read the Book of the Covenant ).
Unfortunately, the nation has gone too far, and their time of contending with God has come to an end. So the Pharoah of Egypt kills Josiah. And when Josiah’s son becomes king, the Pharoah imprisons him so that he can not rule, and replaces him with another evil man – Jehoiakim.
These are sad days in the life of Judah. Their time is about up. God has sent prophet after prophet to try to keep these people on the right track, but they just will not honor and follow the one true God.
I pray that we will heed the lessons of those days. I pray that our nation – and indeed, our world – will return to the one true God.
John 4:31-54
It seems that everyday Jesus is introducing something new to His disciples.
For several centuries, the Samaritans have been considered second-class citizens. Their ancestors had intermarried with other cultures, so that they were considered unclean people by the Jews.
Jesus is about to draw the big line through the ages – the line which will change the covenant. He will cut a new covenant between God and man – a covenant which will allow the Spirit of God to live on the inside of man – the way it was with Adam. When that happens, God’s covenant of mercy will be to all people everywhere.
After all of those years of being told to stay clear of other cultures, these people can’t understand Jesus. He seems like He is breaking the law. His followers love Him and believe Him, but they are confused by Him many times. There are many things they will not understand until He sends back the Holy Spirit to them.
In the meantime, Jesus talks with the Samaritan woman at the well and she runs into town to tell many others. They beg the Savior to stay with them for a while, so He stays two more days, and many come to believe in Him.
After the resurrection of Jesus and the Day of Pentecost, when He sends His Spirit to His disciples, all of these actions will be understood. They will understand that the covenant is no longer just for the Jews, but for all who believe in Him throughout the world. Right now, there’s confusion.
These disciples could have decided that Jesus was in error – as did many Pharisees of the day. But instead, they put these things on the shelf until they could understand them.
Today, the Holy Spirit is here and available to all who desire to walk with Him. He will come to live on the inside of all believers in Jesus, and He will bring understanding to all confusion. Just ask Him to teach you, and He will.
Lord, today, I pray that the eyes of our understanding will be enlightened so that we will know You better and understand more of Your plan.
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
II KIngs 19-21
Right in the middle of all of those worthless kings, here comes one who trusts the Lord.
Let’s backtrack just a little to see Hezekiah’s character. He had” removed the high places, broke down the sacred pillars, and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made”(18:4. (The bronze serpent, which God had told Moses to make during the wilderness had become an idol. The people would worship the serpent, instead of God).
In fact, Hezekiah trusted in the Lord so that there was none like him of all the kings of Judah.(18:5)
Hezekiah of Judah watches as his brother kingdom, Israel, gets taken off to Assyria. He must have been in shock as he saw what was happening to them. After the Lord’s dealing with them for many years, He finally gives them up to the foreign army. Yet Judah is left.
Now the threat is knocking at the door of Hezekiah’s nation. Rabshakeh and his large army surround Jerusalem and taunt them. The priests ask them to speak in Aramaic, since they will understand and the common people won’t. But the bold Rabshakeh speaks louder in Judean, “Don’t listen to your king. He can’t save you, and his Lord can’t save you.”
However, through Isaiah the prophet, God speaks to Hezekiah. In addressing the Assyrians, He says, “Whom have you reproached and blasphemed?…the Holy One of Israel.”(19:32)
Assyria had already overcome many nations around, and Judah seemed an easy prey. Yet God showed himself strong on behalf of His nation. In th middle of the night an angel of the Lord went out a struck 185,000 troops. So the king of Assyria departed and returned home…and as he worshipped Nisroch his god, some of his men came in and killed him.
So our Father is still blessing this nation.From all of the twelve tribes only Judah is left, but this remnant is God’s remnant and as long as they trust Him, He will be faithful.
You might look around and think that most people don’t believe or trust God. They see promises in the Bible, but they don’t believe them – why should you?
We serve an amazing God. He will be faithful to fulfill His covenant to those who believe Him. That’s the key, we have to believe Him.
John 4: 1-30
We meet the first woman evangelist.
The religion of the day didn’t allow for Jews to speak to Samaritans, and it didn’t allow for men to speak privately with women. The disciples were shocked when they saw their Savior breaking all the rules. What was going on?
Well, Jesus was showing the world that His love would overpower the sin of the world. This woman had had five husbands and now was just living with a man, but Jesus showed her God’s love and respect, which changed her life.
We get introduced to the “living water” which we will hear a lot about. Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit which will come into us when we believe on Him. He is likened to a “spring of living water which bubbles up out of us, giving us wisdom and life.”(V. 14)
He also introduces the concept of worshipping in spirit and truth. Our worship is not formulas and rituals, but a heart which truly follows after Him.
This woman, having received respect and God’s love for the first time, can’t wait to tell her friends. She runs into the city and tells everyone that she has met the Messiah.
An evangelist is born.
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
II Kings 17-18
A turning point for Israel finally comes. The turning point is that they are totally ravaged by Assyria and they are taken into captivity.
The Lord had dealt with this nation for many years. He had sent prophets to them warning them. But they “did not listen, but stiffened their neck like their fathers, who did not believe in the Lord their God.”(17:14)
If they would just believe Him and trust Him and be faithful to Him, their lives would be blessed. But no. They “followed vanity and became vain, and went after the nations which surrounded them, concerning which the Lord had commanded them not to do like.”(17:15)
Now it’s becoming clear why the Lord was so adamant about His people not mingling with the nations around them. It’s just human nature for people to begin to accept whatever they see others doing. When the Jews saw those around them worshipping other gods and partaking of other customs, they too began to participate.
You can see that today. No one ever says to himself, “I think I will be a drug addict or alcoholic.” But people do become that. They begin to hang out with others who are doing such, and the behavior begins to seem normal. So they try it, again and again, and they too are hooked.
The Israelites were no different. They began to hang out with the other cultures and intermarry with them. Eventually they began to follow the customs of the heathens – and it seemed perfectly normal.
This is the reason that the Bible is so important. Just think if we had no Bible, and we had to make our judgments based on what we see and hear. Our beliefs would be totally different. We would be unable to determine the right course on many occasions.
I am so thankful for God’s Word. It explains to us the way to go, and the underlying principles. His Word is indeed a “lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.”(Ps. 119:105)
Back to the Israelis, they wouldn’t turn around and finally they nullified their covenant with God. A just God couldn’t continue to give special protection and consideration to people who wouldn’t be faithful to Him. So the Jews in Israel were taken into Assyria.
In the meantime, Hezekiah, king of Judah, tried to restore some faithfulness there. There’s a lot to say here, so we’ll take up that more tomorrow.
John 3: 19-38
“And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”(V. 19-21).
This passage really explains a lot. Do you wonder why Christians are hated by some people? This is it.
Of course, the people who are hating and mocking don’t realize who is pushing them to do it. Demonic forces behind the scenes who hate Jesus are influencing individuals to have this aversion.
Sometimes there are those who know what they are doing is wrong – and their conscience hurts them. Therefore, they avoid the “light.” They don’t want to be exposed.
The good thing about our Savior, however, is that when people want to turn from the darkness, He is always there – ready and waiting. Jesus is not judging them, but bringing them forgivenenss and empowerment to overcome the darkness which has invaded their lives.
Every individual judges himself by loving the darkness or the light.
I pray that our savior will enlighten our darkness, so that we can repent, receive forgiveness, and walk in the freedom of the light.
I want the brightest light, don’t you?
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
II Kings 15-16
I don’t know about you, but I had to write down two columns with lists of names to keep up with the kings of Israel and Judah and their transitions. There were so many.
One thing, though, is clear. There were no good kings of Israel. Over and over, it’s certain that the kings “did evil in the sight of God.” It’s also clear that eventually the culture created by Israel and its rebellion caused the king of Judah to turn also.
And what caused them to be evil kings? Instead of remembering their history with God and heeding to the age-old traditions of His Word, they were influenced by the culture around them. They gave heed to the heathenish cultures and turned from the true God.
As we are reading this, I hope that all of us stop and think about what is happening in our world today. People are doing the same thing. They are allowing all of the humanistic and heathenish ideas to infiltrate the church and the lives of Christians. The standards are being lowered at an overwhelming rate.
There is a haughtiness which goes with this rebellion. People who are turning from God and who are holding to the societal whims consider themselves to be more sophisticated than those who are holding steadfast.
I’m sure that this was true in the days of these evil kings. Human nature has remained the same – even though traditions my change. So I’m sure that these kings who did evil just thought they were smarter than those who didn’t.
Another thing is also certain. As they turned away from God, the people were denying their covenant with Him. He had promised protection and provision as long as they remained faithful to Him. He gave them many years to repent, but the evil got worse and worse.
The kings of Israel had gone too far. Their land began to be peeled off by the Assyrians. While Pekah was king, the Assyrians captured all of the land of Naphtali and carried those people off into captivity. Judgment has begun.
So instead of taking notice, Ahaz gets pulled into the ploy also. As king of Judah, in order to please the king of Assyria, he gives him the treasures out of the temple. And beyond that, he goes to Damascus and admires an altar they use for their gods. He decides to redesign the temple in Jerusalem to be more “modern.” He copies the altar of the Damascun god.
What an abomination! After they had lived their years as chosen ones, the special seed of Abraham, God’s people, they decided that the rest of the world had something better to offer.
Sadly, the same abominations are happening today in the church of Jesus.
John 3:1-18
We come to the most famous verse in the Bible. John 3:16 has been printed on T-shirts and signs, painted on faces, and displayed on bumper stickers.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever should believe in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.
This is the gospel in a nutshell. There are many other religions, but only one truth. All other religions have rules and regulations which are supposed to give you entrance into the blessings from that god, and entrance into heaven after death.
However, this one is different. Instead of rules and regulations, with Christianity we get a Savior who paid the price for our sins. Then He actually gives us a new life. He actually comes to live in our hearts by the power of His Holy Spirit.
This supernatural life allows us to talk to God and to listen to Him speak to us. His Word becomes alive like never before. He explains it from within our hearts.
The Greek word which is used for “life” is a different kind of word. It doesn’t mean just ordinary life, and it doesn’t mean just an everlasting life. This word is zoe and it means “God’s life.”
Zoe is described in Strong’s concordance as “the absolute fulness of life, both essential and ethical, which belongs to God, and through Him both to the hypostatic “logos” and to Christ in whom the “logos” put on human nature” (Strong’s 2222)
Do you get that? The absolute fulness of God’s life has been given to us when we get born again by receiving our Savior.
Absolutely amazing! If we can ever grasp the truth of this, we will never be the same.
I pray that you and I can delve more deeply into this truth and truly understand what our God has done for us. It’s huge!
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
II Kings 4-6
What does a double portion of God’s anointing look like? I think that we see it here.
Elisha lives a supernatural life. He is a man, of course, but a man whose faith level is so great that he taps into the power of God for those around him.
When there is famine, he multiplies the oil and meal. When a woman is barren, he opens her womb. When a child dies, he brings him back to life.
Elisha sees and hears in the spirit realm. He knows where the king of Aram is taking his army. He knows who is coming to see him, trying to take him away. And the prophet sees in the spirit realm when armies are around him, so that he sees the angels who are assisting him.
I love what he says during that last incident. “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”(6:16) He says this when an entire army has surrounded the city and his servant is afraid. Yet when the servant’s eyes ae opened, he sees a mountain covered with horses and chariots of fire. The angels are working on Elisha’s behalf.
Remember, it isn’t this man, but God Himself who is doing the work throughout all of these accounts. Elisha is a man who knows God, believes Him, and obeys Him.
His life is entirely consecrated to God. So he operates in a realm known only to a few.
If you will notice, though, the miracles he performs are similar to the miracles that Jesus performs. Elisha multiplies oil; Jesus multiplies loaves and fish. Elisha raises the child from the dead; Jesus raises a lady’s son from the dead. Elisha knows what others are thinking; Jesus knows what they are thinking.
Of course, Jesus accomplishes much more than Elisha, but this prophet is as a foreshadowing of what Jesus will be like.
All of these demonstrations of the supernatural are from the anointing – which is God’s Holy Spirit – working through them.
Today miracles are still happening for those who believe. So many today think they are too sophisticated for such, so they count themselves out. Yet for those who believe, Jesus is still working miracles.
Luke 24:33-53
Can you imagine the joy in that room where the disciples are sharing their encounters with the risen Lord?
Just days before these men and women were in such sorrow and disappointment. They had followed Jesus and believed in Him. They had seen Him overcome every attempt to discredit His ministry. They had also seen His wisdom, authority, and power. When Jesus had been taken and murdered not only had they lost a friend; they had lost a vision – a hope.
Now, here He is standing before them, explaining things just as He had always done. It’s too much for them to comprehend!
I love verse 44. “These are My Words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”
Do you remember early on in this study when we said, “The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed and the New testament is the Old Testament revealed?”
That’s what we see here. Jesus is showing His disciples how everything that has happened was fulfillment of the Old Testament Word. He has fulfilled all of the scripture concerning Him.
The scholars of the Word were actually the ones who killed Jesus. They knew what the words said, but they weren’t able to understand it. Their hearts were hard and they held to traditions which denied them the ability to see the spiritual side of the Word.
It’s the same today. There are many scholars who think that they know what the Word says, but they really don’t. They take the supernatural of God and try to interpret it with their natural minds. But they can’t do that. The Word can only be understood by the Spirit of God.
So sometimes these “scholars” strip away the miracles and supernatural walk that is available today. They want everything to be done according to the intellect. Yet God is bigger than our brains. He is our Creator.
The humble will inherit the earth. I want to stay humble!
