June 22, 2012 … Remaining Loyal To Our King

Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: 1st Kings, Chapters 12-14 [NIV] To study these chapters, go to this link - 
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Highlight Passage: 1st Kings 12: 18-20 :[NIV] … 18 King Rehoboam sent out Adoniram, who was in charge of forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam, however, managed to get into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem.19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. … 20 When all the Israelites heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the house of David.  
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Highlight Passage #2: 1st Kings 13: 33-34 :[NIV] … 33 Even after this, Jeroboam did not change his evil ways, but once more appointed priests for the high places from all sorts of people. Anyone who wanted to become a priest he consecrated for the high places.34 This was the sin of the house of Jeroboam that led to its downfall and to its destruction from the face of the earth.
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Highlight Passage #3: 1st Kings 14: 22-26 :[NIV] … 22 Judah did evil in the eyes of the Lord. By the sins they committed they stirred up his jealous anger more than those who were before them had done.23 They also set up for themselves high places, sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree.24 There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land; the people engaged in all the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. … 25 In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem.26 He carried off the treasures of the temple of the Lord and the treasures of the royal palace. He took everything, including all the gold shields Solomon had made.  
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Passage of the Day: Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: Romans 1: 18-32 [NIV] To study these chapters, go to this link -   

My Journal for Today: Reading and meditating on my chronological reading assignment for today is very scary when I consider what’s going on in the world today. In Chapters 12-14 of 1st Kings one reads of what happened when a mighty and supposedly wise king, like Solomon, wavers from steadfast devotion to our Lord and succumbs, as he did, to idols. Literally, in reading about what happened between Rehoboam and Jeroboam, “all hell breaks loose” when leaders and societies ignore God’s way and go it on their own, worshiping idols and spurning God’s written will from His word.

When one reads and studies what happened in just five short years after Solomon died, with the Temple he had built under David’s instruction being ransacked and desecrated, we can see what can happen when a nation let’s idol worship lead them away from God’s way, which is clearly written in His word.

Again, as I did a few days ago [see my journal entry for June 20], my heart was taken to Romans 1: 18-32, linked above for your study if you’re following here, … where the Apostle Paul, inspired by God’s Spirit, writes of what happens when God’s people, or a nation, ignore, or, even worse, spurn God’s will and worship idols in their lives. God turns them over to their own wickedness; and they become vulnerable to Satan and his worldly ways. And here is where my deep concern lies as I see what is happening in this country and our world these times.

I see a worldly leader, … our President, … spurning God’s will, as clearly spelled out in His word; and the President and his followers are totally turning away from the principles and purposes upon which this nation was founded, … that being the perpetuation of the Gospel and our foundation of laws based on God’s word. And many, many are falling prey to the forces of idolatry, which are leading us away from God. And in seeing what God did to His own, chosen, people in the days following Solomon’s death, and in reading Paul’s warning, from God’s own word (in Romans 1), how would we not expect God not to lift His hand of protection from this nation as He did with Israel?

It’s scary business! And it’s most worthy of the remnant of believers, i.e., Christians who still desire to follow the real King, … our Lord, Jesus Christ, … to pray as we’re instructed to humbly pray in 2nd Chronicles 7: 14, that God would somehow – in His way and timing – forgive us and restore us to follow His greatness, turning away from the idols of this world.  

My Prayer Today: … Lord, have mercy on Your remnant, … the ones who follow You and seek Your will and ways from Your word. Amen