KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Wednesday, April 05, 2017
Chapters: Judges 16-18
Message: True Worship
Hello My Friend,
If there is one thing that we can learn about religion it is that people want God in their lives, where it falters is how they worship God. Think about it, God only made one book, and yet there are thousands of other books, including the Book of Mormon, New World Translation, Qur’ans, and Sunday Missal that were written based on their views of God’s Word. Why are there so many books and religions when there is only One God? Because they all what to worship God on their terms, not God’s. And if they are worshiping God on their terms they will literally have hell to pay for it. “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” – Revelation 22:18-19.
While we do not need a Bible to know that God is the only living God, we are truly blessed to have the Bible. In the beginning, they did not have God’s Word to guide them, they relied on godly prophets and judges, and when they were not around they had to figure things out on their own. When God chose Samson to be a Nazarite, He knew exactly what kind of rebellious behavior he would have, yet He used that behavior to do exactly what He brought him here for, to avenge the Philistines for bringing sin upon Israel. Samson fell for another Philistine woman, Delilah, he really loved her and she used that love to get him to tell her how he could be defeated and captured, and eventually kill thousands of Philistines worshiping their false god.
“And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death; That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man. And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand. And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him. But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.” – Judges 16:16-21.
“And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.” Do you think that his strength was really in his hair? No, it was God who gave him his strength, his hair was just a symbol. This is why Christians cannot be of the world, we are marked with the blood of Christ, He is our symbol, our strength, the only one who can keep us from giving into the world and being controlled by the enemy. The devil is patient, he will wait until he gets our heart right where he wants it and then pounce on us like a lion. “While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.” – II Peter 2:19-21.
God’s first two commandments, have no other gods before me and make no graven images. Now, we are a glimpse as to exactly what was going on that God would turn His back on Israel. They did what they thought was right in their own eyes to please God, which broke His greatest commands. A woman had some money taken from her, what sounds to have been used to pay Delilah, but her son Micah was able to it back, in turn she used the money to have idols made for him, together they created gods, and even a priest.
“And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest. In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes. And there was a young man out of Bethlehemjudah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there. And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in. And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons. And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.” – Judges 17:5-7,10-13.
“Now know I that the LORD will do me good,” Micah thought that a Levite priest, one who was supposed to be one of God’s ministers coming to his door was a sign that he was doing right and God was going to finally bless him. How many people do you think get caught up in a religion because they think they are hearing from God. What they really are is lost, and who they really need is Jesus Christ. Contrary to what people believe, there are not several paths that lead to God, there is only one, and that is Jesus Christ. “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” – Acts 4:10-12.
When the promised land was distributed by Joshua, considerable territory was allotted to each tribe, including Dan, but they were not very faithful to God, and as a result not only failed at removing the inhabitants as God commanded, they had been run out of their own towns. Now, they were out to find land of their own and came upon Micah, including his gods and the Levite priest.
“Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? now therefore consider what ye have to do. And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and saluted him. And these went into Micah’s house, and fetched the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest unto them, What do ye? And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel? And the priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people. And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land. And they set them up Micah’s graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.” – Judges 18:14-15,18-20,30-31.
“And they set them up Micah’s graven image,” This goes to show you that so many want God in their lives, and are willing to go through anything to get them. The sad thing is that they go about it the wrong way, and have no clue who they are worshiping. God will have no gods before Him. Micah’s only response when confronting the Danites. “Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and ye are gone away: and what have I more? and what is this that ye say unto me, What aileth thee?” – Judges 18:24. Micah was convinced that he lost everything he had, including God. The truth is, he never had God because He will not share Himself with any other god. God is a jealous God, He will not allow His people to worship other gods nor will He accept any kind of worship, we must come to God through Christ, and we must worship Him His way. “Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.” – Luke 13:24-27.
Jesus Christ Magnified: Today, Christ is revealed through the strength of Samson. Jesus is always the strength that gives every Christian the power to serve God. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” – Philippians 4:13.
Today’s Prayer: God, You have given us an example of how You want us to live through Your Son, a man who was tempted in all points just as we are, a man who gave His life so that we can live with You forever. We are not required to be perfect, just to believe in Your perfect Son, but You would like us to be a reflection of Your Son so that others come to know Him as well. Lord, give me Your power and wisdom to be more like Jesus, keep me in Your word, help me to discern right from wrong, and if there is anything I need to eliminate from my life give me Your strength to do it. As I stick close to You, love You, talk to You, and get under the influence of Your Son, I know that I can do all things. I ask these things in the name of Jesus, Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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