Well, folks, we're over a third of the way thru our "reading the Bible thru in 2010". Isn't that hard to believe? I'll have to admit that I'm glad to be finished with Chronicles. I enjoyed the recap....but I'm liking even better getting back into "stories". But....that means taking lots more notes and taking more time to read only 3 chapters per day!!! Like I've told y'all before....this is the first time that I've ever done this and I'm gonna be so proud (is that okay...to be proud?)....to be able to say that I've read the Bible thru.
Will I try it again next year?
I think so!!!
If you didn't start on this journey with us at the beginning of January.....why not start now?
Who says your year has to be January thru December? You can begin any time you want!!!!
Here are my high-lights from this past week's reading....
***King Ahaz of Judea did not do what was pleasing to the Lord. He even sacrificed his own sons in the fire (this broke my heart). He took articles from the Temple of God and broke them into pieces and shut the doors of the Temple so that no one could worship there....and he set up pagan shrines for offering sacrifices to other gods....arousing the anger of the Lord!!!
***When Ahaz died, his son, Hezekiah, became the next king. Within the first month, he reopened the doors of the Temple and repaired them and summoned the priests and Levites to come and purify the Temple for worship and sacrifice.
So many times the old saying "like father, like son" certainly didn't apply!!!
***Manasseh, Hezekiah's son, became the next King of Judah. His parents were godly....but not Manasseh! (again, the old saying) He reigned 55 years - longer than any other king in Judah, or Israel, and he was the most wicked of all the kings of Judah. He also burnt his son as a child sacrifice (how could a father do that?). Later in life, Manasseh turned to the Lord.
Is this not a wonderful example of how God will save any and all of us....sin and all....if we'll just admit, believe and confess?!?!?
***Huldah was a prophetess who sent word to King Josiah that he Lord would bring disaster on Jerusalem, but only after King Josiah's death. King Josiah read the entire Book of the Covenant to the people of Judah. He removed all detestable idols from the entire land of Israel and required everyone to worship the Lord their God.
***When King Josiah died, the prophet Jeremiah composed funeral songs for him.
***King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, attacked Judah, killing both young men and women and the old and sickly. The king took home to Babylon all articles used in the Temple of God and treasures from the Lord's Temple and the palace of the king. Then, his army burned the Temple of God, tore down the walls of Jerusalem, burned all palaces, and destroyed anything of value.
***I thought this was very interesting:
The verses of II Chronicles 36:22-23 are the very same words used in Ezra 1:1-3!!!
(I'll let y'all look them up to see if I'm right!!)
***Ezra was a priest and a scribe. He was a disciplined student of God's laws....and he was qualified to teach, preach, and interpret the scriptures. He always recognized that God's gracious hand....not his own ability, or wisdom....enabled good things to happen!!!
***The book of Ezra recounts God's marvelous work in bringing many Israelites back to Jerusalem after being in exile for 70 years in Babylon.
***Restoration of Jerusalem took place under King Cyrus of Persia. He commissioned the Jews to rebuild their Temple and their city. Isaiah referred to Cyrus as the Lord's anointed.
***Ezra, chapter 7, states several times that "the gracious hand of the Lord His God" was on Ezra. This was because he had determined to study and obey the law of the Lord and to teach the decrees and regulations to the people of Israel.
***The following 2 verses of scripture really touched my heart:
Ezra's Prayer
Ezra 9:6 (NLT)
"O my God, I am utterly ashamed; I blush to lift my face to you. For our sins are piled higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached to the heavens."
Ezra 9:15 (NLT)
"O Lord, God of Israel, you are just. We come before you in our guilt as nothing but an escaped remnant, though in such a condition none of us can stand in your presence."
To me, both of these verses show repentance and humility....something that each of us have to do before our Lord!!!
Hope each of you have a wonderful, blessed Saturday!!!
In His Most Precious Love....and with mine!!!
Dear Deb, I'm going to start reading through the bible with you too!
ReplyDeleteI think this set of scriptures really points out that we are each accountable to the Lord. We certainly can't blame it on our parents. Nor are we hopelessly stuck if our parents didn't follow the Lord. Isn't God good? His mercies are BRAND NEW to every generation!