In 1 Kings 20, Ahab sees a field that abuts his royal property that belongs to Naboth. He wants the field and offers to buy it from him, but Naboth says it is not for sale. It has been in his family for ages, and he will not sell it.
Ahab pouts at home, and his wife Jezebel says that she will take care of things. They hold a banquet and invite Naboth. Then two guys accuse him of blasphemy, and the people stone Naboth. Then Jezebel takes his property. Elijah comes and tells him that Ahab will die and that when Jezebel dies, dogs will eat up her body and they won't be able to bury her. Then Ahab repents and Elijah says this will all happen in his son's time.
This account reminds me of the incident of David and Bathsheba. David saw another man's wife, used murder to obtain her, and then Nathan rebuked him, but he genuinely repented. He still suffered the consequences of his sins, but his repentance was genuine.
I can't judge Ahab. Sometimes I think he might have genuinely repented, and sometimes I think he only repented because he was caught. Even so, God honors repentance and knows the heart. Perhaps Ahab was reprobate through and through, and perhaps God had mercy on his soul. Only time will tell.
This account also reminds me of the incident of Jack the baker in Colorado. The LGBT crowd want him to bake a cake for a gay wedding. He says he won't do it but refers them to places that will be glad to bake one. However, these people want to destroy him and anybody else who will not give in to their libertine agenda. And even after the US Supreme Court exonerated him at least once if not twice, the people still won't leave him alone. They will not stop until we let them proceed in their wickedness and get us to help them in the process. They have time to repent. And this is not me being judgmental. You always have a choice in what you do with your feelings and never have to let them decide who you are. We have an amazing God who offered Jesus do die for our sins and gives us time to repent. He gives a Holy Spirit who will change you from your natural sins to be more like him, even the ones you love the most.
And also, is God judging the world through the COVID-19 shutdowns? I read one article that said that he was. I couldn't really agree with it. I read another article that said he does not send disasters to judge, and I couldn't agree with that one either. The fact is, he does send disasters as judgments, and also there is rampant sickness as a result of the fall of man. He sends rain and sunshine on the just and the unjust and in the end no one is truly just and good except God. We all deserve a lot worse than what he gives, but he still sent Jesus to die for our sins. We should never question his love and mercy because of that alone, but we should all repent lest something worse happen. I have no fear because my sins have been forgiven and if I should die, I will see his face. But if you do not know Jesus, then you need to do so before it's too late. And we should all work for justice and mercy until then!
Monday, March 30, 2020
Friday, March 27, 2020
Thoughts on Genesis 27
About last year, a friend of mine asked me to hold her accountable to memorize Scripture. So I started doing that again. Years ago I had been doing that and then stopped for some reason. I don't remember why, but I had been surfing in different passages. I had stopped at Genesis 26, Psalm 10, Proverbs 2, and Matthew 5.
Normally in memorizing Scripture, I'll memorize a passage, but don't rehearse it once I move on to other passages. But I finished Genesis 27, the long passage where Jacob officially swindles Isaac into giving him the blessing, stealing the chance from Esau. Rebekah, his mother, conspires in this. It's a major ordeal that God still used for his glory. Here are my ideas from it.
1. God wanted to bless Jacob, the younger twin anyway. Just because Isaac was deadset on disobeying the Lord and blessing his favorite older son, did not mean Jacob and Rebekah had to help God keep his promise. God would have given Jacob the blessing one way or another. He did that for Judah even though Jacob liked Joseph the best of all his sons. He became the ancestor of Jesus. In fact he did that for Leah, Judah's mother, even though Rachel was Jacob's favorite wife. In the end Jacob was only claiming what was already his, but he doubted that God would come through for him, and he did a despicable thing to his father in doing so.
2. At the end of the passage, when Rebekah sends Jacob off to her brother in Haran, she says she'll send word to him when Esau is no longer angry and forgets what Jacob did. Notice, she never sent for him. Esau kept being angry. How would you forget something like that? That is why we should never praise Esau for not retaliating at Jacob when they met again and embraced each other and wept. That happened because God intervened, not because Esau finally learned to forgive. Ultimately Esau was like Cain who never followed through on killing his brother. Unlike Cain, he actually was a better guy than Jacob. But in God's election, God wanted to bless Jacob, and we see that Esau willingly through away his blessing for a pot of stew, caring nothing for the future of him and his children.
3. No matter who is right or who is wrong, we all sin because we are sinners. We all need redemption from our flagrant errors. We cannot come to God on our own initiative. Our sins need to be covered by the Blessing that God would send through Jacob. That is Jesus. Jesus must die for our sins so that we can have peace with God. And that peace is meant to be shared with others. Do not throw away eternity for one bowl of stew or one night with somebody or a relationship that you know is wrong. Love Jesus more than this world and know his invitation is always open until you die or until he returns.
Normally in memorizing Scripture, I'll memorize a passage, but don't rehearse it once I move on to other passages. But I finished Genesis 27, the long passage where Jacob officially swindles Isaac into giving him the blessing, stealing the chance from Esau. Rebekah, his mother, conspires in this. It's a major ordeal that God still used for his glory. Here are my ideas from it.
1. God wanted to bless Jacob, the younger twin anyway. Just because Isaac was deadset on disobeying the Lord and blessing his favorite older son, did not mean Jacob and Rebekah had to help God keep his promise. God would have given Jacob the blessing one way or another. He did that for Judah even though Jacob liked Joseph the best of all his sons. He became the ancestor of Jesus. In fact he did that for Leah, Judah's mother, even though Rachel was Jacob's favorite wife. In the end Jacob was only claiming what was already his, but he doubted that God would come through for him, and he did a despicable thing to his father in doing so.
2. At the end of the passage, when Rebekah sends Jacob off to her brother in Haran, she says she'll send word to him when Esau is no longer angry and forgets what Jacob did. Notice, she never sent for him. Esau kept being angry. How would you forget something like that? That is why we should never praise Esau for not retaliating at Jacob when they met again and embraced each other and wept. That happened because God intervened, not because Esau finally learned to forgive. Ultimately Esau was like Cain who never followed through on killing his brother. Unlike Cain, he actually was a better guy than Jacob. But in God's election, God wanted to bless Jacob, and we see that Esau willingly through away his blessing for a pot of stew, caring nothing for the future of him and his children.
3. No matter who is right or who is wrong, we all sin because we are sinners. We all need redemption from our flagrant errors. We cannot come to God on our own initiative. Our sins need to be covered by the Blessing that God would send through Jacob. That is Jesus. Jesus must die for our sins so that we can have peace with God. And that peace is meant to be shared with others. Do not throw away eternity for one bowl of stew or one night with somebody or a relationship that you know is wrong. Love Jesus more than this world and know his invitation is always open until you die or until he returns.
Monday, March 23, 2020
1 Kings 20
At the end of my last post, I had said that Elijah had anointed Elisha, Hazael, and Jehu and that Hazael would end up killing Ahab. I got that wrong.
Elijah anointed only Elisha who, decades later, anointed Hazael to be king of Syria and to judge Israel, and Jehu who would annihilate Ahab's descendants. However, the latter two were not friends to Elijah or even God. They would not be a good small group to encourage our weary prophet. But Elisha would succeed him as prophet and be a prototype of Jesus. He even has the same name.
But the current king of Syria, in chapter 20 of 1 Kings, Ben-Hadad gathers his army to attack Israel. They are heavy drinkers, and they taunt Ahab. However, a prophet comes to Ahab and tells him that he will defeat the army, that God wants him to kill Ben-Hadad. At some point, however, Ben-Hadad tells his army to surrender in sackcloth and ashes. Ahab spares the king and his army.
Another nameless prophet tells a man to strike him. The man refuses, so the prophet says that a lion will eat him for not striking him. That happens. Another man listens to the prophet and wounds him. Ahab notices him, and when the prophet removes his headband, he recognizes him. The prophet says that Ahab will die because he spared the Syrian king that God wanted to die.
Because God's prophets anoint kings of Israel and Syria, it shows that God rules over all nations, whether the nations know it or not. Both northern Israel and Syria worshiped false gods, but Israel was God's chosen people, so he gave them as many chances to repent, even sending Elijah and Elisha before he finally sends them into exile to Assyria later on. God is patient, not wanting anybody to perish in their sins. And he wants all nations to know their proper God. In the end, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess him as Lord.
The account of the man who would not strike the prophet is another grim example of God judging people immediately when people are used to him giving mercy. It is a grave thing to disobey our Lord, but we do it daily in his face like he will never hold us to account. And sometimes, God holds people to account right away, like the man who did not strike the prophet. God sent a lion to eat him. God keeps his word, even when we don't like it. And God used the wounded prophet to show Ahab that he still did not obey God even when he said he would defeat Syria. He nearly won, but then spared the king and his army. Soon, Ahab will die. But not before the next chapter which recounts his most wicked deed.
God gives us a long time to repent of our sins and turn to Jesus. The reason Ahab lived so long in his wickedness is that God was ready to replace him with Jesus. Jesus could die for his sins and Ahab could live a new life of devotion to God. He proved himself real over and over in the fire called down from heaven and in the lion eating the man who would not strike the prophet. And he still hasn't sent Jesus back even the the world grows more depraved and bloodthirsty. He wants us all to repent of our sins and turn to Jesus. He will not wait forever.
Elijah anointed only Elisha who, decades later, anointed Hazael to be king of Syria and to judge Israel, and Jehu who would annihilate Ahab's descendants. However, the latter two were not friends to Elijah or even God. They would not be a good small group to encourage our weary prophet. But Elisha would succeed him as prophet and be a prototype of Jesus. He even has the same name.
But the current king of Syria, in chapter 20 of 1 Kings, Ben-Hadad gathers his army to attack Israel. They are heavy drinkers, and they taunt Ahab. However, a prophet comes to Ahab and tells him that he will defeat the army, that God wants him to kill Ben-Hadad. At some point, however, Ben-Hadad tells his army to surrender in sackcloth and ashes. Ahab spares the king and his army.
Another nameless prophet tells a man to strike him. The man refuses, so the prophet says that a lion will eat him for not striking him. That happens. Another man listens to the prophet and wounds him. Ahab notices him, and when the prophet removes his headband, he recognizes him. The prophet says that Ahab will die because he spared the Syrian king that God wanted to die.
Because God's prophets anoint kings of Israel and Syria, it shows that God rules over all nations, whether the nations know it or not. Both northern Israel and Syria worshiped false gods, but Israel was God's chosen people, so he gave them as many chances to repent, even sending Elijah and Elisha before he finally sends them into exile to Assyria later on. God is patient, not wanting anybody to perish in their sins. And he wants all nations to know their proper God. In the end, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess him as Lord.
The account of the man who would not strike the prophet is another grim example of God judging people immediately when people are used to him giving mercy. It is a grave thing to disobey our Lord, but we do it daily in his face like he will never hold us to account. And sometimes, God holds people to account right away, like the man who did not strike the prophet. God sent a lion to eat him. God keeps his word, even when we don't like it. And God used the wounded prophet to show Ahab that he still did not obey God even when he said he would defeat Syria. He nearly won, but then spared the king and his army. Soon, Ahab will die. But not before the next chapter which recounts his most wicked deed.
God gives us a long time to repent of our sins and turn to Jesus. The reason Ahab lived so long in his wickedness is that God was ready to replace him with Jesus. Jesus could die for his sins and Ahab could live a new life of devotion to God. He proved himself real over and over in the fire called down from heaven and in the lion eating the man who would not strike the prophet. And he still hasn't sent Jesus back even the the world grows more depraved and bloodthirsty. He wants us all to repent of our sins and turn to Jesus. He will not wait forever.
Monday, February 24, 2020
Elijah's big showdown and the aftermath
1 Kings chapters 18-19 continue Elijah's story and his ministry against Ahab's idolatry. He had a refreshing three years living with a widow in Zarephath. The Lord took care of them while famine raged in northern Israel. Now, it was time to go on the offensive. Elijah had to face Ahab.
On the way, he meets Obadiah, an official of Ahab who had secretly hid 700 prophets in caves to protect them from Ahab. It shows that even when wicked people take over a country, God still rules over them and has his followers in strange places carrying out his will. He meets with Elijah who tells him to tell Ahab that he is here. Obadiah fears for his life, but Elijah assures him that God will protect him.
Then, we have the famous showdown between Elijah and Baal's prophets. They set up altars, and whoever's God answers with fire is the real god. Baal's prophets slash themselves and cry out to him all day long. Elijah taunts them saying that perhaps Baal is asleep or he went to the bathroom. Finally, it's Elijah's turn, and God answers immediately. It is very obvious that Elijah won because by himself, he had enough power to kill all of Baal's prophets down by the river.
Then queen Jezebel hears about this and threatens to kill Elijah. He runs away to mount Horeb and wants to kill himself. It shows that when we succeed in brave things, we still get tired and anxious, ready to give up. God graciously gave him a timeout with food, sleep and a good pep talk. He said to stop navel-gazing and go anoint three men.
Notice, two of these three men are not friends of God. One is Hazael. He will assassinate the king of Syria, replace him, and kill king Ahab in battle. God is going to judge Ahab for his continued Baal worship even after the pyrotechnics he saw on Mount Carmel. The next is Jehu who will kill Jezebel and all of Ahab's descendants including the king of Judah because king Jehoshaphat unwisely gave his son in marriage to on of his daughters. Then, Jehu will end Baal worship but still continue using the golden calves.
Finally, he anoints Elisha. Elisha will succeed Elijah. Another version of his name is Elishua. It is the same name as Joshua/Jesus. Just like Joshua succeeded Moses and led Israel into the promised land and conquered the inhabitants there, and just like John the Baptist gave way to Jesus who is our messiah and will make it possible for us to enter God's kingdom and he will defeat all God's enemies who never repent, Elisha will succeed Elijah. Northern Israel had become so bankrupt of any true religion that God graciously gave them this ministry to usher them back into the true worship still going on in Jerusalem. Elisha's ministry reach out to gentiles such as Naaman, bringing them to worship the true God. And he healed people and at one point even multiplied bread to a crowd. He was not the Messiah, and one day God did judge the north who never returned to God's true worship. But he gave them one last chance.
If we are discouraged by our enemies even when we do the best to show them God's love, we have to look to God. We cannot find encouragement from people who found peace without knowing Christ because there is no true peace. Their hope is only for this world. We must look to people like William Cowper, Charles Spurgeon, or Martin Luther who suffered great depression but still clung to the hope of our Lord even in their darkest nights of the soul. In many cases, their anxiety was not healed. Even Cowper died doubting God's love. But God's eternal love carried them all the way home and it can do that for you, too.
On the way, he meets Obadiah, an official of Ahab who had secretly hid 700 prophets in caves to protect them from Ahab. It shows that even when wicked people take over a country, God still rules over them and has his followers in strange places carrying out his will. He meets with Elijah who tells him to tell Ahab that he is here. Obadiah fears for his life, but Elijah assures him that God will protect him.
Then, we have the famous showdown between Elijah and Baal's prophets. They set up altars, and whoever's God answers with fire is the real god. Baal's prophets slash themselves and cry out to him all day long. Elijah taunts them saying that perhaps Baal is asleep or he went to the bathroom. Finally, it's Elijah's turn, and God answers immediately. It is very obvious that Elijah won because by himself, he had enough power to kill all of Baal's prophets down by the river.
Then queen Jezebel hears about this and threatens to kill Elijah. He runs away to mount Horeb and wants to kill himself. It shows that when we succeed in brave things, we still get tired and anxious, ready to give up. God graciously gave him a timeout with food, sleep and a good pep talk. He said to stop navel-gazing and go anoint three men.
Notice, two of these three men are not friends of God. One is Hazael. He will assassinate the king of Syria, replace him, and kill king Ahab in battle. God is going to judge Ahab for his continued Baal worship even after the pyrotechnics he saw on Mount Carmel. The next is Jehu who will kill Jezebel and all of Ahab's descendants including the king of Judah because king Jehoshaphat unwisely gave his son in marriage to on of his daughters. Then, Jehu will end Baal worship but still continue using the golden calves.
Finally, he anoints Elisha. Elisha will succeed Elijah. Another version of his name is Elishua. It is the same name as Joshua/Jesus. Just like Joshua succeeded Moses and led Israel into the promised land and conquered the inhabitants there, and just like John the Baptist gave way to Jesus who is our messiah and will make it possible for us to enter God's kingdom and he will defeat all God's enemies who never repent, Elisha will succeed Elijah. Northern Israel had become so bankrupt of any true religion that God graciously gave them this ministry to usher them back into the true worship still going on in Jerusalem. Elisha's ministry reach out to gentiles such as Naaman, bringing them to worship the true God. And he healed people and at one point even multiplied bread to a crowd. He was not the Messiah, and one day God did judge the north who never returned to God's true worship. But he gave them one last chance.
If we are discouraged by our enemies even when we do the best to show them God's love, we have to look to God. We cannot find encouragement from people who found peace without knowing Christ because there is no true peace. Their hope is only for this world. We must look to people like William Cowper, Charles Spurgeon, or Martin Luther who suffered great depression but still clung to the hope of our Lord even in their darkest nights of the soul. In many cases, their anxiety was not healed. Even Cowper died doubting God's love. But God's eternal love carried them all the way home and it can do that for you, too.
Saturday, November 30, 2019
Kings: Ahab and Elijah - when following God is lonely
1 Kings 16:29 tells of the beginning of Ahab's reign. Thus far, he was the most openly wicked king of Israel. Before him, kings would set up golden calves and say they were worshiping the true God through them. They weren't. God's second commandment expressly says not to worship him with images. But northern Israel was geographically cut off from the true temple and true Christian education.
Ahab did not even pretend to worship the true God. He set up a temple for Baal in the capital that he set up in Samaria. He married Jezebel of Tyre, the center of Baal worship. And they persecuted anyone who spoke out against them. Does the world punish people who speak out against the popular gods of our day? Doesn't the worst strife come from within people who call themselves God's people?
This brings on the ministry of Elijah in chapter 17. Since Baal was the fertility god, and his followers thought they could get him to send rain if they could influence him and Asherah to have sex by also having sex, Elijah told them that God would not send rain for the next three years unless Elijah asked him to. This would show that all their religion was based on licentiousness that had no effect. Their rebellion was in vain. And since Elijah was speaking against what they really loved, their passions, he lived in exile while God fed him through ravens.
And he escaped to Zarephath where a widow and her son took him in. He asked her to give him the last of her bread, and as long as he lived with her, her jar did not run out of oil, and she always had bread to eat. And when her son suddenly died, Elijah revived him.
Does following the Lord make you lonely? In the state of Georgia, almost everyone thinks that they are Christian, but do they actually follow the Lord? I came to Christ when I was about 11, and I was very lonely through high school because the people who started out as my friends wanted to follow the world and belong with the popular crowd. I decided that following the Lord was more important.
Later on, I found my kind of people, but mostly I must be content with loneliness. I'll quote someone, and if she reads this, she'll know I'm quoting her: "There's Christian, and then there's really Christian." Really Christian is lonely. But those who follow the Lord will find him sustaining them with ravens. And those who stand up for those who follow him will find their oil not running out and their hearts satisfied. And I simply need to believe that God listens to me when I pray and is for me and not against me. And I praise God every day for those who stand by me and back me up, providing a visible sign of God's love for me. And I pray that God will keep them strong, too.
Ahab did not even pretend to worship the true God. He set up a temple for Baal in the capital that he set up in Samaria. He married Jezebel of Tyre, the center of Baal worship. And they persecuted anyone who spoke out against them. Does the world punish people who speak out against the popular gods of our day? Doesn't the worst strife come from within people who call themselves God's people?
This brings on the ministry of Elijah in chapter 17. Since Baal was the fertility god, and his followers thought they could get him to send rain if they could influence him and Asherah to have sex by also having sex, Elijah told them that God would not send rain for the next three years unless Elijah asked him to. This would show that all their religion was based on licentiousness that had no effect. Their rebellion was in vain. And since Elijah was speaking against what they really loved, their passions, he lived in exile while God fed him through ravens.
And he escaped to Zarephath where a widow and her son took him in. He asked her to give him the last of her bread, and as long as he lived with her, her jar did not run out of oil, and she always had bread to eat. And when her son suddenly died, Elijah revived him.
Does following the Lord make you lonely? In the state of Georgia, almost everyone thinks that they are Christian, but do they actually follow the Lord? I came to Christ when I was about 11, and I was very lonely through high school because the people who started out as my friends wanted to follow the world and belong with the popular crowd. I decided that following the Lord was more important.
Later on, I found my kind of people, but mostly I must be content with loneliness. I'll quote someone, and if she reads this, she'll know I'm quoting her: "There's Christian, and then there's really Christian." Really Christian is lonely. But those who follow the Lord will find him sustaining them with ravens. And those who stand up for those who follow him will find their oil not running out and their hearts satisfied. And I simply need to believe that God listens to me when I pray and is for me and not against me. And I praise God every day for those who stand by me and back me up, providing a visible sign of God's love for me. And I pray that God will keep them strong, too.
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Kings: Baasha, Elah, Zimri, and Omri
1 Kings 15:33-16:7 describe the 24-year reign of Baasha king of Israel. He had deposed the dynasty of Jeroboam. The Lord said he would as a judgment on him setting up golden calves to rival the temple in Jerusalem. Baasha came along and killed his son Nadab, and then he did the same things. So Jehu son of Hanani came and said that his dynasty would end.
Elah, his son, is described from 16:8-14. He reigned only two years. His official Zimri plotted against him and assassinated him. Then he became king for 7 days. His reign is described from 16:15-20. Omri became the commander of the army and set a seige to the city of his palace. Zimri set his own palace on fire and died, and Omri became king.
In history, Omri set up northern Israel as a world power such as it became known as Omri-land. In the Bible, he only gets a blip in verses 21-28. He's more known as being the father of the most notorious evil king of Israel, Ahab.
Northern Israel was formed as a judgment on Solomon beginning to follow false gods. Then the northern kings immediately set up false images and said the people could worship the true God through them, which goes against God's commandment against setting up graven images. And each dynasty was eliminated for doing things only to be followed by another king who did the same things and only made it worse.
Meanwhile, in the southern kingdom of Judah, they had kings who followed God but also compromised with false forms of worship.
But each time, God kept his promise. In the south, he kept David's dynasty going until it became so wicked that he kept his other promise of sending them into exile. In the north, he kept his promise and send them into exile as none of the kings followed God.
And as we see leader after leader fail to correct wrongs in society such as abortion and sex trafficking, we may see the same judgments on our countries. But I sure hope that the only true King, Jesus, comes back before things get worse. He kept his promises in the BC days. He will keep his promise to us to send him back to complete his kingdom and end evil and death for all time. And if you do not come to believe and follow him, then you will be swept away in his judgment, the one we all deserve had it not been for his grace in saving the people of his Church.
Elah, his son, is described from 16:8-14. He reigned only two years. His official Zimri plotted against him and assassinated him. Then he became king for 7 days. His reign is described from 16:15-20. Omri became the commander of the army and set a seige to the city of his palace. Zimri set his own palace on fire and died, and Omri became king.
In history, Omri set up northern Israel as a world power such as it became known as Omri-land. In the Bible, he only gets a blip in verses 21-28. He's more known as being the father of the most notorious evil king of Israel, Ahab.
Northern Israel was formed as a judgment on Solomon beginning to follow false gods. Then the northern kings immediately set up false images and said the people could worship the true God through them, which goes against God's commandment against setting up graven images. And each dynasty was eliminated for doing things only to be followed by another king who did the same things and only made it worse.
Meanwhile, in the southern kingdom of Judah, they had kings who followed God but also compromised with false forms of worship.
But each time, God kept his promise. In the south, he kept David's dynasty going until it became so wicked that he kept his other promise of sending them into exile. In the north, he kept his promise and send them into exile as none of the kings followed God.
And as we see leader after leader fail to correct wrongs in society such as abortion and sex trafficking, we may see the same judgments on our countries. But I sure hope that the only true King, Jesus, comes back before things get worse. He kept his promises in the BC days. He will keep his promise to us to send him back to complete his kingdom and end evil and death for all time. And if you do not come to believe and follow him, then you will be swept away in his judgment, the one we all deserve had it not been for his grace in saving the people of his Church.
Sunday, October 6, 2019
King Nadab - true v. false worship and the irony of God's justice
In 1 Kings 15:25-32, we have the account of King Nadab of the northern kingdom of Israel. He is Jeroboam's son. Since Jeroboam apostatized from the true worship of the true God by setting up golden calves to rival the temple in Jerusalem, prophets told him that his dynasty would end.
Under his son Nadab, the dynasty did end. Baasha killed Nadab after two years and became the next king of Israel.
It's interesting that Jeroboam's son bears the same name as a son of Aaron who also was killed instantly when he offered strange fire at the altar in a way that was opposed to what Yahweh commanded. Both Nadabs prove true the classic Reformed interpretation of God's second commandment to not make graven images to try to worship him. The classic reformed view is that if a kind of worship is not commanded by God in Scripture, if it has not positive precedent in the Old or New Testaments, then it is to be forbidden.
God commanded Aaron's sons to offer sacrifices through a kind of fire. Nadab and Abihu offered a different kind of fire and were killed instantly. God does not kill other people on the spot who offer a strange kind of worship other than what God commanded, but we must beware that we are not worshiping God the way that the pagans worship their gods.
The second Nadab is the son of the man who said Israel could worship the true God through images of calves, much like Aaron did when Moses was on Sinai. God specifically commanded not to worship him through images.
But here is the irony. God used Baasha to kill Nadab and end Jeroboam's dynasty, and then Baasha did the same things. It is up to God to bring judgment by whoever he wants whenever he wants, or to have mercy and save the people from their sins. But I still can't help thinking why. Why would God use someone to punish someone else when they do the same things?
Even today, we see political divisions arguing for life when each side demeans life. Trump says that unborn lives are sacred, and I wholeheartedly agree and that's why I voted for him. At the same time, foreign families are living in cages at the border. Then again, the people that speak against having immigrants living in cages at the border are doing nothing about it. They are only wasting time trying to impeach Trump. Meanwhile, I vote knowing I can't do anything about the unborn or the immigrants. I want to find ways to protect all life from conception to natural death. And I want people to come into the country legally but not be treated as animals while they await legal process.
I can do nothing but pray and await God to sort things out in his time. And I also am a hypocrite and don't want to be. Only by the grace of God go I.
But ultimately God will bring justice to all people, and he will have mercy by bringing that justice onto Jesus instead of those he saves. He has mercy on whom he will have mercy. And both his mercy and justice make no sense at times.
Under his son Nadab, the dynasty did end. Baasha killed Nadab after two years and became the next king of Israel.
It's interesting that Jeroboam's son bears the same name as a son of Aaron who also was killed instantly when he offered strange fire at the altar in a way that was opposed to what Yahweh commanded. Both Nadabs prove true the classic Reformed interpretation of God's second commandment to not make graven images to try to worship him. The classic reformed view is that if a kind of worship is not commanded by God in Scripture, if it has not positive precedent in the Old or New Testaments, then it is to be forbidden.
God commanded Aaron's sons to offer sacrifices through a kind of fire. Nadab and Abihu offered a different kind of fire and were killed instantly. God does not kill other people on the spot who offer a strange kind of worship other than what God commanded, but we must beware that we are not worshiping God the way that the pagans worship their gods.
The second Nadab is the son of the man who said Israel could worship the true God through images of calves, much like Aaron did when Moses was on Sinai. God specifically commanded not to worship him through images.
But here is the irony. God used Baasha to kill Nadab and end Jeroboam's dynasty, and then Baasha did the same things. It is up to God to bring judgment by whoever he wants whenever he wants, or to have mercy and save the people from their sins. But I still can't help thinking why. Why would God use someone to punish someone else when they do the same things?
Even today, we see political divisions arguing for life when each side demeans life. Trump says that unborn lives are sacred, and I wholeheartedly agree and that's why I voted for him. At the same time, foreign families are living in cages at the border. Then again, the people that speak against having immigrants living in cages at the border are doing nothing about it. They are only wasting time trying to impeach Trump. Meanwhile, I vote knowing I can't do anything about the unborn or the immigrants. I want to find ways to protect all life from conception to natural death. And I want people to come into the country legally but not be treated as animals while they await legal process.
I can do nothing but pray and await God to sort things out in his time. And I also am a hypocrite and don't want to be. Only by the grace of God go I.
But ultimately God will bring justice to all people, and he will have mercy by bringing that justice onto Jesus instead of those he saves. He has mercy on whom he will have mercy. And both his mercy and justice make no sense at times.
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