King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]
Date: Thursday, July 25, 2024
Chapters: II Kings Chapter 19, Psalm Chapter 46, 80, 135
Message: God’s Remnant
Hello My Friend,
My husband and I have been going to a church that has been around since the early 1900’s, it has no pastor, and for a while we had been led to believe that the people were tyrants when it comes to pastors, even firing them every year. Of course, this was untrue, but it almost kept us from going there if it were not for my husband’s curiosity. So, we discovered that on Wednesday nights they do an actual Bible study in the fellowship hall where we read through a chapter and discuss it. Ironically they are reading through Isaiah and a question came up about this verse, [Isaiah 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.]
Was this verse intended for the lost person or saved who had been backslidden? Then that question brought on another question, “Does one need to repent of their sins before they can ask Jesus to save them?” The first thing I always tell people in regards to verses that seem obscure is to never let it take you away from the true meaning of the Word. While God did design the Bible so that we get different perspectives, He never designed it be taken out of context. I am pretty sure that the only thing we need to be saved is our faith in the Gospel of Christ.
[Romans 11:28-32 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. 29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. 30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.]
Now with that said, we all have a little bit of wicked in us so rather than ask ourselves who the verse is intended for rather ask God as it can apply to anyone. To the lost it is good news to learn that God is merciful to all who come to Him and to the backslider it is a good reminder that God’s mercy endures. In any case we have the assurance that God will pardon anyone who comes to Him in sincere repentance, whether that means that we are changing our reasoning to the fact that we cannot save ourselves or turning away from sin, [2 Corinthians 7:10-11 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. 11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.]
We have been learning about Hezekiah and how he had made great strives to rid Judah and Jerusalem of the idolatry and restored the people back to God and temple worship. Then yesterday we learned the king of Assyria attempting to take over Judah and of Rabshakeh trying to talk the people into believing that trusting God to save them was insane. As we continue in the reading of 2 Kings, we learn that when Hezekiah got the news that his plan to buy peach did not work, he tore off his clothes, put on the sack cloth, and immediately went to the temple and prayed.
[2 Kings 19:1-4 And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD. 2 And he sent Eliakim, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz. 3 And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth. 4 It may be the LORD thy God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God; and will reprove the words which the LORD thy God hath heard: wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that are left.]
[for the children are come to the birth,] This was an illustration of the crisis in the birth of a child when the strength of the mother fails in the midst of labor and the life of both the mother and the baby are in the greatest danger of death. In other words, the nation has come so far to restore the kingdom back to God and now that it is coming forth its life is being threatened by the enemy. This is why we cannot save ourselves, we are not strong enough to push forth into the birth of Spirit of God upon our soul with our own works. That is where Jesus comes in, through our faith in Him we are born with God’s Spirit, a term also called, born again, [John 3:7-8 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.]
[wherefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that are left.] Out of the multitudes of the children of Israel that were born from the time God had made His covenant with Abraham there was only a remnant that stood by Him. When the remnant of God’s people are put to the test by the enemy, it is the wisdom and duty of the people to plead with God, appeal to Him, then leave it all at the altar.
[Psalms 46:1-3,8-11 To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. 8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth. 9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. 10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. 11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.]
[Be still, and know that I am God:] I love this, in the midst of God’s judgments are a remnant of faithful, saved, born again, believers of Christ who will not bow down to the world or cave into their demands out of fear. That remnant gets smaller by the day, and it gets harder by the hour to fight them off, but we just need to be still and know that our LORD, Jesus Christ is with us, [Matthew 28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.]
God, is not done with the earth just yet, if He were, then His remnant would be up in the clouds right now. Jesus, still has many more souls to save, and right now He is using His remnant to help Him seek the lost because the world really is full of lost people who want to be found. Now, after the men had spoken to Isaiah God responded to let them know that He was not worried by this fools words.
[2 Kings 19:6-8 And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say to your master, Thus saith the LORD, Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. 7 Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and shall return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land. 8 So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah: for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish.]
[Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard,] Intimidation is the biggest tactic of Satan as well as the rest of the truly wicked in an attempt to psych God’s people into believing that they have no power over them. Those who are saved have great power within themselves, in fact, the Holy Spirit, but the key to seeing Him work that power through us is repentance. We get nowhere with God if we remain living in sin and or have unrepentant sin after we are saved, which is why we need to ask God if there is anything hindering Him from hearing our prayers.
[Psalms 80:1-7 To the chief Musician upon Shoshannimeduth, A Psalm of Asaph. Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth. 2 Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength, and come and save us. 3 Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved. 4 O LORD God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people? 5 Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; and givest them tears to drink in great measure. 6 Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours: and our enemies laugh among themselves. 7 Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.]
[how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people?] It can seem like God is so angry with us that He will not even hear our prayers. And while God will not be attentive to the prayers of the unsaved until they receive His Son or those whom are not repentant, He always hears the prayers of those who come to Him sincerely, [1 John 1:9-10 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.]
No sooner than Sennacherib got word that Hezekiah would not cave in to is demands he rebuttals and once again tries to convince the people not to trust Hezekiah, [2 Kings 19:10-12 Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. 11 Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly: and shalt thou be delivered? 12 Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed; as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Thelasar?]
[Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee,] This man must not value his life very much because it is about to be over. You see, anytime someone attempts to overthrow God’s will or Word for that matter, they are blaspheming Him and there will be consequences. No one can keep God from bringing to pass what has already been destined, except for one thing, repentance, [Exodus 32:13-14 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever. 14 And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.]
[Have the gods of the nations delivered them] Again, these fools were comparing the living God with these dead gods and will soon find out just how alive He is. Well, when Hezekiah received the letter he did not freak out, he went straight to the temple, spread the letter out before the altar and began to pray.
[2 Kings 19:15-18 And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, and said, O LORD God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven and earth. 16 LORD, bow down thine ear, and hear: open, LORD, thine eyes, and see: and hear the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent him to reproach the living God. 17 Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands, 18 And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them.]
[Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have…cast their gods into the fire:] Hezekiah, flat out told God that he was not blind to the fact that the Assyrians have destroyed the gods of the nations they conquered. He also made sure to let God know that he understood that these were dead gods, but He is the living God. It does our mind, body, and spirit good to not only let God know that we understand that He is the only living God, but also that we are seeking Him alone for the help we need.
[Psalms 135:1-5 Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the name of the LORD; praise him, O ye servants of the LORD. 2 Ye that stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God, 3 Praise the LORD; for the LORD is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant. 4 For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure. 5 For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.]
[chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure.] The people of God that were here before Christ came here in the flesh are no different than us today, they were definitely peculiar as we all are today, they too knew that they needed a Saviour to save them, they knew Him simply as the LORD.
[Psalms 135:13-18 Thy name, O LORD, endureth for ever; and thy memorial, O LORD, throughout all generations. 14 For the LORD will judge his people, and he will repent himself concerning his servants. 15 The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. 16 They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not; 17 They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths. 18 They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them.]
[thy memorial, O LORD, throughout all generations.] There is a reason why Jesus broke bread and shared wine (juice) with the disciples before He was about to give His life for us, [Luke 22:19-20 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. 20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.]
While the pains and sorrows of life can cause us to lose sight of the great gift that Jesus gave, we need that reminder to get us back to trusting in Him for everything. Affliction has a way of uprooting our faith, it can cause us to make rash decisions that may cause even more affliction, but God actually anticipates this. Hezekiah, knew that God was with them and would spare Judah because he faith in Him even though he messed up. Well, when word got out to Isaiah about the letter from Sennacherib and Hezekiah’s prayer he sent word to Hezekiah that God had heard his prayer.
[2 Kings 19:28-31 Because thy rage against me and thy tumult is come up into mine ears, therefore I will put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest. 29 And this shall be a sign unto thee, Ye shall eat this year such things as grow of themselves, and in the second year that which springeth of the same; and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruits thereof. 30 And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall yet again take root downward, and bear fruit upward. 31 For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this.]
[Ye shall eat this year such things as grow of themselves,] Do you know how God knows what is going to happen before we do? He actually prepares us for what is up ahead. You see, the reason Hezekiah knew that God would deliver them has to do with His response, the second year was a sabbatical year as by the Law, every seven years there would be no harvest. God assured them that there would be enough food for them to last two years, and this promise was to be made after the destruction of Sennacherib’s army. Within the message was a reminder that Judah was still going to be judged because of their sin, but a remnant would be saved. And as God continues, He reminds them of why He will deliver them.
[2 Kings 19:33-36 By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the LORD. 34 For I will defend this city, to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake. 35 And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. 36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.]
[for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.] We must understand that it is not of our own righteousness that we are saved. And it is not because we are obedient all the time that God has our backs, but those who are faithful to humble themselves and trust Christ with their souls will always have God’s back, [Proverbs 24:15-16 Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place: 16 For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.]
Jesus Christ Revealed/Magnified: [2 Kings 19:31 For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion: the zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this. Psalms 46:11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.]
Today’s Prayer: God, As the time draws so near that You will send Your Son for Your remnant, it can be difficult to praise You when Satan and so many others try to knock us down. It is not us that they are fighting, it is You, yet You are right there fighting for us. Lord, lead us and guide us, put Your hedge of protection around us, and fill us with Your mercy, grace, and Holy Spirit power. Hide us behind the cross, and keep us still as You lead us in this battle, fully armed with Your Spirit clothing us. Let us spread our burdens upon the altar and trust that You will deliver us from each and every one. Let us flee all evil and not fear our enemy, for You are our refuge and strength. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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