King James Bible Study – [Mark 8:34 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.]
Date: Monday, July 25, 2022
Chapters: II KINGS 19, PSALMS 46, 80, 135
Study: According To His Purpose
Hello My Friend,
I did not want to get up this morning when the alarm went off, but God so graciously did something to my phone that the alarm would not turn off until I got up out of bed. Then as I was praying as soon as I started to thank God for the life He had given me all these things came to mind of all the bad choices I had made over the years. God, then so graciously reminded me of why it was His Son that saved my soul and none of my good or bad works. He also just reminded me that He had already dealt with me concerning those bad choices and how I make better choices through Him. I am not going to say that I have not made any more bad choices, but I am going to say that God does work everything out for good to those who love Him.
[Romans 8:28-30 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.]
Do you understand what it means to be predestined to be conformed into the image of Christ? Every soul born on this earth was predestined to receive Christ as their Saviour. However, we are only saved through our faith in His Son, which first begins with our love for God. If we truly love God, then we will accept Christ, and that is when the trials and tribulations that we face will all work together for good. Oh, and those whom do choose to believe in Christ and receive Him as their Saviour, do conform to His image as we seek Him as our refuge and strength through these trials and tribulations.
[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.]
[a very present help in trouble.] Trouble comes to all of us, and I will tell you what, the stronger your faith in God, the more trouble comes. You see, it is not our salvation that Satan is worried about, it is our showing Christ through the trouble that is. Satan, wants to keep the world from seeing Jesus and he always wants to discourage us and place all this doubt in our heads for trusting in Jesus to begin with. As we continue in the reading of 2 Kings, Hezekiah, made great strives in turning Judah away from the idolatry and back to God, the temple was restored and there was a great revival. Now, here comes Rabshakeh, the leader of the Assyrian army, trying to psych the people out for trusting Hezekiah, who had made an unwise decision to take the gold and other treasures out from the temple to buy peace. When Hezekiah got the news that his plan did not work, he went into the temple with prayer and fasting, and also sent for Isaiah.
[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,] Hezekiah, was saying to God that he knows that they have sinned a great sin, but many of them have made all this progress to turn the nation back to Him as they were about to be born again, but they did it in their own strength and now it is gone. And if they were to fall into the hands of the Assyrians, then so be it, it it God’s will be done. There is this thing about us when we are faced with trials and tribulations, especially if we keep doing all these things for God and they seem to never end, and that is the need to handle them on our own. Fear does that, and it is Satan’s biggest tactic to get us to lose sight of God, but God does something though our temporary lapse of judgment in attempting to handle these things in our own strength, He renews our faith and confidence in Him, [2 Corinthians 7:11 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.]
When the Holy Spirit lives inside of us we have all the power in the world to not only defend ourselves, but shine the Light of Christ into this dark world and He will truly deliver us from all evil, even if His will is to take us out of it completely. Well, God, was not quite done with Judah just yet, and answered their prayer.
[2 Kings 19:6-10 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. 9 And when he heard say of Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, Behold, he is come out to fight against thee: he sent messengers again unto Hezekiah, saying, 10 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.]
[with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.] 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. It did not matter if they only know Jesus as the LORD, God of host, they knew they needed a Saviour and that they needed to call upon His name in order to be saved.
[Psalms 80:1-4,17-19 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? 17 Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself. 18 So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name. 19 Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.]
[quicken us, and we will call upon thy name.] The people of God that were here before Christ came here in the flesh are no different than us today, they too knew that they needed a Saviour to save them, they just knew Him simply as the LORD. In fact, Immanuel, which was the name that they would come to know Him as was introduced by Isaiah, [Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.].
Now, God did send Rabshakeh back to his home, and when he told the king what he had said to them, Sennacherib had a letter sent to Hezekiah with the same intimidation. When Hezekiah received the letter, he did not even open it, he went right up to the temple, opened the letter, spread it out before God on the altar, and began to pray.
[2 Kings 19:14-19 And Hezekiah received the letter of the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up into the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD. 15 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. 19 Now therefore, O LORD our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD God, even thou only.]
[and spread it before the LORD.] This is what we all need to be doing, casting our burdens at the altar, and leaving them there, with God. While trials and tribulations do have a way of uprooting our faith, all we need is faith the size of a mustard seed to see God move mountains, [Luke 13:18-19 Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it? 19 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.]
That is really all that God is looking for when He places trials and tribulations in our lives. This time, Hezekiah, was not taking any chances in his own strength, which he knew would nothing in this situation. After he prayed, Isaiah came back with an answer.
[2 Kings 19:22,28-31 Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy One of Israel. 28 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.]
[and in the second year that which springeth of the same;] 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 that he was speaking of would be a sabbatical year as by the Law, and 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 that 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 19:32,34-37 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a bank against it. 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. 37 And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword: and they escaped into the land of Armenia. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.]
[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 does save us from all evil, it is for the sake of His Son that we stay saved, [Titus 3:5-7 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.]
You see, it is not us that Satan is fighting with, it is God, and as long as we come to Christ, He will deliver us. Throughout the Bible you will often read, “God is above all gods” or something similar. Of course, there is only One living God, but thanks to false religion, rebellious people, and a society that hates God’s Word, Satan has literally made a killing. The Bible says, [1 John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.], and with good reason. In this day and age, we definitely need to try the spirits, even those who say they are Christians because they make up their own versions of God as well. Unless they are preaching the true Gospel and that our salvation is through Christ alone, then they are preaching to a false god that cannot see or hear one thing.
[Psalms 135:2-4,14-18 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. 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.]
[They that make them are like unto them:] Jehovah’s Witness, Mormons, Muslims, Catholics, just to name a few, they all know the name Jesus, but their version of Jesus is false, and anyone trusting in these false Christ’s will be in hell along with the ones who started them. And by the way, we were all destined for hell because our sins are great, it is the one and only Jesus, the only begotten Son God, who made a way for that to be altered, and that was His own sinless death on the cross, burial, and resurrection three days later. He gave His life to save the souls of all who believe in and receive Him as their Saviour, and second that we accept that, our destiny turns from an eternity in hell to an eternity with Christ, [John 5:24-26 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. 25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. 26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;]
Today’s Prayer: God, As the time draws so near that You will send Your Son for Your remnant, it can be difficult to stand up strong 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 at the altar and trust that You will deliver us from each and every one of them. 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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