Proverbs 17:1-19:29
The first verse in this
section sets the tone. It is a hard
lesson to learn in American culture that peace with poverty is better than
strife with wealth. I have met people who
have learned this lesson, but they are rare, even in the Church.
It is encouraging to know
that Beth and I are about to receive our “crowning glory” (17:6), but I am not
sure how to take the other side of the coin – that we are “aged.” J
There are considerable words
about quarreling, strife, honesty, and integrity. This whole section is really humbling to me
because it contains so many lessons that I have learned the hard way. But the really sad thing is that even if I
had read these words in my youth (and I did) I would not have heeded them. I would still have had to learn the hard
way. The one consolation is that I at
least learn (well – eventually - in most cases). J
Proverbs 20:1-22:16
Integrity, planning ahead,
prudence, and the sovereignty of God.
Indeed, this section reveals the fact that the sovereign plan of God
employs the will of man in His purpose.
In
Proverbs 22:17-24:34
This section is replete with
advice concerning hard work versus laziness and honor versus injustice.
One of my favorite phrases is
“put a knife to your throat.” In this
case (23:2) the reference is to avoid overeating when in the presence of a
potential enemy who may take advantage of your weakness. But the phrase speaks equally to virtually every
scenario in which self-discipline is called for.
There are repeated references
to not envy evil people. The
implications are to always love in full surrender to the Lord. It is made clear to us that defenseless
orphans have a strong Redeemer.
Father, may I always conduct
myself in respect to your love and strength in my behalf in my weakness. Keep me safe, Lord, from the enemy.
Song of Songs 1:1-8:14
There is so much that I do
not understand about this book and I desire to study more. In the recognition of the canon of the Old
Testament, this book met with some controversy because of its explicit
language. This controversy actually
extends back into the centuries before Christ.
Young men were not allowed to read it until well into what we would
consider adulthood. Ultimately, it was
determined to be an allegory of Christ and the Church and its inclusion was
approved. The older commentators and
preachers preached from this book in that way.
Many still do. It is also my
preference.
But it has become much more
fashionable today to develop this book into Bible studies for young newly-weds
and marriage classes. Its sensual nature
is being plumbed and its typological nature ignored or in some cases denied.
A balanced approach that respects
all potential edification to the Body of Christ seems to me to be the best
approach.
When I think of the wonderful
preaching that ministers such as Charles Spurgeon did from this book, and
compare it with the culture-serving way it is used today, my heart is sick (and
not “sick with love”).
1Kings 11:1-43
2 Chronicles 9:29-31
Ecclesiastes 1:1-11
One of the saddest accounts
in the entire Bible is right here. When
we consider the extent of God’s blessings to Solomon in earthly matters and in
spiritual matters, it is shocking. In
the context of Solomon’s God-given wisdom, we are greatly sobered and
saddened. And for my personal life the
reading here is wasted unless the warning of Solomon’s fall is applied in my
own life. This should humble anyone who
considers the potential for failing God and going one’s own way. If I only point a finger at Solomon instead
of falling before God in true repentance myself, then the account of Solomon
has been lost on me, for the truth is the account of Chuck Briggs’ infidelities
to my Creator and Savior are horrible.
And the Lover of my soul has been only faithful to me, never deserving
of the attachments I have made in my heart to worldly things. Help me Lord to properly comprehend what is
meaningless. Help me to turn from
chasing the wind and rather pursue You and point others to You. Amen.
Ecclesiastes 1:12-6:12
As Solomon struggles with the
convictions in his later life, he writes of the various “futilities” in
life. It is a time that re-acquaints him
to great brokenness and (I think) repentance as he makes his way back to God by
the grace of the Holy Spirit. At times
he reveals amazing insight into the truth of God. At other times, he seems consumed in
humanism. He never denies God – he always
seems conscious of God’s existence, awareness, and even benevolence, but he
does not seem to have an accurate understanding of God’s plan and purpose. Oddly, he occasionally tries to represent
God’s position and it seems very clumsy to me.
He does not seem to have an eternal perspective at all, even though he
wrote what I think is the most significant verse of this section. “God has made everything beautiful in its own
time. He has planted eternity in the
human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work…”
Ecclesiastes 7:1-11:6
Solomon seems to burst forth
from the “meaninglessness of life” for brief offerings of wisdom proverbs. Some of these strike me as quite powerful
because I have learned so many of them over my lifetime – some by being taught
by another but most by hard experience.
He begins many proverbs by
showing which thing is better than another.
This usually indicates he considers both things good but one rises
higher than another. Verse
There are so many clichés
that find their origins in this section, “like fish in a net,” or a “fly in the
ointment,” or a “little bird told me.”
Even Solomon’s meteorological observation is a good proof of divine
inspiration (11:2). Such knowledge from
secular sources was unlikely back then.
Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:14
1 Kings 12:1-20
2 Chronicles 10:1-19
1 Kings
2 Chronicles 11:1-4
1 Kings
2 Chronicles 11:5-17
The proverbs of wisdom
continue in Ecclesiastes but it is wisdom with a shadow over it. The shadow of a cloud that is beginning to
break, as Solomon struggles with and teaches of the hopelessness of humanism,
the certainty of judgment, and the futility of anything outside the fear of
God.
And so Rehoboam, the son of
Solomon takes over and the purpose of God continues in fulfillment. The results of Solomon’s parenting while
womanizing, drinking, obsessing with work, amassing wealth foolishly, and
worshiping false gods; is showing up now.
Rehoboam receives sound advice from his elder advisors and then rejects
it favoring instead the terribly flawed guidance of his young advisors.
And so now the kingdom is
split between north and south with Jeroboam over the north. Jeroboam seems to lose no time redefining
worship with golden calves and new priests.
He apparently ignored the covenantal warning of God.
1 Kings 13:1-14:24
2 Chronicles 12:13-14
2 Chronicles 11:18-23
2 Chronicles 12:1-12
1 Kings
2 Chronicles 12:13-16
1 Kings 14:29-15:5
2 Chronicles 13:1-22
1 Kings 15:6-8
1 Chronicles 14:1-8
1 Kings 15:9-15
1 Kings 14:19-20
1 Kings 15:25-34
2 Chronicles 14:9-15:19
The real mess of the kings
gets into full swing in this lengthy session.
Jeroboam, Abijah, Rehoboam were not right with the Lord. Asa is more committed to God than the others. Jeroboam was a pathetic individual who would
not humble himself before God no matter how dramatically God dealt with
him. Finally, God strikes him and he
dies. His son Nadab did like his father
and was assassinated along with all of the descendants of Jeroboam by Baasha
who became the new king. By the way, he
was a mess also. He was foolish enough
to follow the example of Jeroboam.
Asa provides the breath of
fresh air in all this mess by following the Lord. He removed the idols in Judah and repaired the
altar of the Lord at the Lord’s Temple.
He called the people together and they made a covenant with the
Lord. He even deposed his grandmother,
Maacah, the daughter of Absalom. Asa
enjoyed peace throughout his reign after his religious reforms.
1 Kings 15:16-22
2 Chronicles 16:1-10
1 Kings 16:1-34
1 Kings 15:23-24
2 Chronicles 16:11-17:19
1 Kings 17:1-7
The office of king of Israel
has become very hazardous to the health.
Baasha’s son Elah was assassinated by Zimri who was pushed to suicide by
Omri who killed Tibni his rival until his son Ahab took over. There wasn’t a decent one among them.
Meanwhile in Judah we have
the account of a good king going bad.
Asa started well but he forgot the benefits of trusting the Lord and
began to put his trust in men instead.
His early kingship was a refreshment to read but now it only
saddens. However, his son Jehoshaphat
takes over and brightens the landscape by committing to the ways of the Lord
and the Lord was with him.
The section ends with the sudden
entry of Elijah in Israel, prophesying judgment to Israel. One of the more delightful illustrations of
the providence of God is given when God commands the ravens to feed Elijah.
1 Kings 17:8-20:22
I have heard preachers
(especially of the Reformers) who say the story of Elijah and the widow at
Zarephath teaches of the sovereign election of the Lord. I think that is true, but not for the reasons
they give. They would say things
unsubstantiated about this woman, but the Scripture leads us to see that this
woman believed in and communicated with the Lord. I am not meaning she is some great pillar of
faith – she is not. But she did believe
in the Lord. And the Lord develops her
faith through trials and deliverance.
Elijah is a great man of
faith but not so unlike the widow or even the Apostles we read about in the New
Testament. He did amazing things and yet
sometimes appeared completely faithless.
And then there is Ahab –
after all God had done for him and to him, it boggles the mind that he would
not turn from his wickedness.
1 Kings 20:23-22:9
2 Chronicles 18:1-8
God’s longsuffering with
Ahab’s shenanigans is actually a comforting demonstration of his grace. In a way Ben-hadad was the clueless one, but
he was seriously outdone by Ahab. It is
hard to believe that anyone could be that messed up but then I consider the
characters of our current culture who formulate the prevailing immoral fiber
that dominates our society more and more.
And if Ahab dug his own grave with his conduct, then Jezebel put the
nails in the coffin. Her name has
actually gone down in history as the name of evil. Nobody names their daughter Jezebel.
This section gives us several
examples of God speaking through prophets, etc.
Whether through Elijah or an unnamed prophet, God demonstrates His grace
and patience by sending warnings and judgments to those who God knows will not
listen. To suggest that God does not
really love those who refuse His salvation seems to me a major miscalculation.
1 Kings 22:10-28
2 Chronicles 18:9-27
1 kings 22:29-35
2 Chronicles 18:28-34
1 Kings 22:36-40, 51-53
2 Chronicles 19:1-20:30
There is such a powerful
revealing of the spiritual operating over the physical. This section gives us a rather clear window
into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Micaiah is actually a
photograph of most of us. Even though we
love the Lord our God, we often allow that which is physical to intimidate
us. Like Peter, he swore his faithfulness
and then waffled under pressure. But
thanks be to God, he regained his spiritual strength and spoke the truth. What a sad thing for a Christian to be
rebuked for telling a lie by one as evil as Ahab.
Ahab was such a mess. He did not want to hear the truth and He did
not want to hear a lie.
Jehoshaphat was quite the
contrast. He was fully committed to
Judah being a godly country. And his
administrative actions toward that end were impressive.
2 Kings 1:1-18
2 Kings 3:1-27
1 Kings 22:41-49
2 Chronicles 20:31-37
1 Kings 22:5
2 Chronicles 21:1-4
2 Kings 8:16-22
2 Chronicles 21:5-7
This section seems poorly
ordered chronologically. There appears
to be errors in the chronology presented.
As I read of Ahaziah’s anger
toward Elijah and how Elijah kept calling down fire from heaven, I considered
how we should approach God. The men who
lived did so because they finally recognized that Elijah was a man of God and
should not be approached with arrogance.
It seems many in churches today have developed a foolish mindset toward
God and would do well to take a lesson here.
It is what I call the “Casual-God” syndrome in which they believe God is
their big, warm, fuzzy Daddy in the sky Who can be approached in a gum-smacking,
bouncy, irreverent manner. This is a
uniquely contemporary American concept which is totally erroneous and I think
quite dangerous. God is most certainly
our intimate Father, but nowhere is there the slightest indication that we
should abandon reverence, ignoring the holiness of God and treating Him like an
“evil” earthly father.
2 Kings 2:1-25
2 Kings 4:1-44
This section gives us the
account of the transfer of power from Elijah to Elisha. The NLT says Elisha asked Elijah to become
his “rightful successor.” They admit in
the footnote that it actually says in the Hebrew that Elisha asked for a double
share of his spirit. This seems like an
excessive deviation from the actual translation.
After the transfer of
ministry we have a rapid-fire listing of several miracles that Elisha
performed. He parted the waters of
Jordan, he purified the water of Jericho, he caused a poor widow to get out of
debt by multiplying the amount of oil she had, and finally he raised the Shunem
woman’s son from the dead. Oh yeah, and
he turned the poisonous stew into a nutritious meal for the prophets at
Gilgal. There is something about this
collection of miracles that reminds me of Jesus’ earthly ministry. The way they both commanded nature just
seemed a little similar to me.
2 Kings 5:1-8:15
This was a much longer
section than yesterday but continues the rich account of Elisha’s
ministry. It begins with the healing of
Naaman who reminds me so much of many people (including myself). Even when we are helpless before God, we
think that God should do things a certain way.
Even when we know He is leading us one way, we dictate a “better”
alternative. The folly is obvious and
when we see it, the lesson can be difficult, but thank the Lord, the lesson is
learned.
There is also the greed of
Gehazi; which is such a pitiful situation, and the floating ax head, which
encourages us to run to God when we cannot return what we borrow.
One of my favorite accounts
in the whole Bible is that of the revealing of the army of the Lord to the
servant of Elisha. Although, a close 2nd
is the starving lepers discovering the abandoned camp of the Arameans. What an awesome God we serve!
2 Chronicles 21:8-20
2 Kings 8:23-29
2 Chronicles 22:1-7
2 Kings 9:
2 Chronicles 22:8-9
2 Kings 10:18-31
How can anyone read this
section and not be sobered regarding the righteousness of the Lord. He is loving and merciful but requires
repentance. The rejection of the
salvation of God is the embracing of darkness and doom. The terrifying judgment of the Almighty can
only be escaped with perfect righteousness.
Since man cannot provide that righteousness, God in His infinite love
has provided it in the perfect, innocent sacrifice of His only unique Son. Receive Him – repent and believe Him and the
escape from the wrath to come is assured.
Believe Him and receive the robe of righteousness – not your own. Reject Him and remain naked – exposed in the
blazing purity of God’s holiness.
It was puzzling to me that 2
Kings 9:27 and 2 Chronicles 22:9 appeared different in their accounts of how
Ahaziah died. I suppose there is an
explanation but I wondered if it could have been a transcription error from a
faulty memory. Regardless, the context
guides us accurately.
2 Kings 11:1-3
2 Chronicles 22:10-12
2 Kings 11:4-12
2 Chronicles 23:1-11
2 Kings 11:13-16
2 Chronicles 23:12-15
2 Kings 11:17-21
2 Chronicles 23:16-21
2 Kings 12:1-16
2 Chronicles 24:1-22
2 Kings 10:32-36
We see here the worst of
mankind’s evil and the best of those who love God. There is the striking contrast of Athaliah
with Jehoiada, the priest. Athaliah
slaughtered the royal family including all her grandchildren (except Joash who
was rescued by Jehoiada). Jehoiada
protected and taught Joash for 7 years until he orchestrated the coronation of
Joash and the killing of Athaliah.
And then somewhere between,
we have Joash. What a blessed life and
yet what a tragic ending. Joash seemed
so dedicated, so committed to God and the Temple of the Lord. It is shocking that his heart would be turned
to abandon the Temple of the Lord and worship Asherah poles and idols. This makes you shake your head, but even
worse, when God sent Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada to warn the people about
their idolatry; by order of king Joash himself, Zechariah was stoned to death
in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple.
This is tragic to tears, and even merited mention by Jesus several
centuries later. What a legacy!
2 Kings 13:1-11
2 Kings 12:17-21
2 Chronicles 24:23-27
2 Kings 13:14-25
We start in Israel where
Jehoahaz takes over for his pa, Jehu.
Jehoahaz is also evil following in the path of Jeroboam who set the
benchmark of idolatry for all those who would follow him. Jehoahaz did pray to the Lord at least once
and the Lord heard and responded, but there is no indication that there was
lasting repentance. His son Jehoash
became the next king.
The account of Joash of Judah
is completed here and it is a pitiful ending to an account that should have
been much different. Joash is the big
story of lost potential. His order to
kill Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada who had saved and nurtured him is a new
depth in the definition of “low.” As
long as Jehoiada was alive, it appears Joash acted godly but as soon as
Jehoiada was dead, it seems like Joash “let his hair down” or maybe a better a
better cliché is “he totally lost it.”
Elisha gives us another
lesson of lost opportunity and the importance of fervor in serving God.
2 Kings 14:1-14
2 Chronicles 25:1-24
2 Kings 13:12-13
2 Kings 14:15-16, 23-27
2 Chronicles 25:25-28
2 Kings 14:17-22
2 Kings 15:1-5
2 Chronicles 26:1-21
Jonah 1:1-4:11
After yesterday it is
disappointing to write that Amaziah, the son of Joash, was
“Joash-Part-Two.” He had many virtues
but success brought his deterioration into idolatry and he was eventually
assassinated. His son Uzziah took over
at the age of 16. He was king for 52
years. He was godly and solid until he
became powerful and then proud. He was
presumptuous in performing priestly duties in the Temple of the Lord. He was struck with leprosy and finished his
life in reclusion.
About this time God called
the prophet Jonah to go to Nineveh to warn the people there of approaching
judgment. The story is well known but
always provokes new thoughts in me. It
seems at times that he sought to escape the Lord’s presence and yet at others
he appears to have clear apprehension of the concept of God’s
omnipresence. Jonah became angry about
God’s mercy toward 120,000 people (whose descendants would eventually turn away
from God and incur the judgment that was earlier diverted). We all seem to lose sight too often of the
grace of God to sinners and the eternality of human existence.
Amos 1:1-6:14
Amos brings a sobering
message of judgment on the Syrians, Philistines, Ninevites, Edomites,
Ammonites, and Moabites. And then he
warns of judgment on Judah and Israel.
He spends an especially long time on Israel but it appears God is
speaking to Judah and Israel as a unit (3:1-2).
It seems that the prophecies
to the Syrians, Philistines, etc. were fulfilled before the warnings to Israel
were complete, because Amos tells Israel to look at what happened to these
other people or nations (6:2).
There are theologians who
find it difficult or impossible to reconcile both the call to repentance and
the prophecy of judgment with a loving God.
So they decide one is insincere and discredit it (take your pick) – and
all in the name of God’s sovereignty, of course. However, this is not an accurate depiction of
God’s sovereignty; it is a theft (or reduction) of God’s sovereignty. Don’t get me wrong - obviously God’s
authority is intact; such theft is only in the mind of the thief. God’s sovereign plan involves a network of
decrees with the common goal of the good of all who love God and are called
according to His purpose. The Word of
God and His creation is our only window into that network. To attempt to create an understanding of
God’s plan by looking through another window is dangerously foolish.
Amos 7:1-9:15
2 Kings 14:28-29
2 Kings 15:8-29, 6-7
2 Chronicles 26:22-23
Isaiah 6:1-13
Amos speaks now exclusively
of Israel. God reveals 2 different
judgments to Amos that God has planned for Israel, but Amos intercedes for
Israel and so God relents. Here again we
have the holy tension between foreknowledge, predestination, and God Who cannot
change. Are the Scriptures about God
relenting accurate? Of course, but I
think this drives home the point that God knows all – past, present, and
future; and His plan (including His relenting) is part of that knowledge.
Amos accurately describes
some of the details of Israel’s captivity and eventual restoration.
The death of Jeroboam II is
prophesied and accomplished and then a pitiful procession of kings follows,
beginning with Jeroboam’s son. Uzziah’s
reign ends but not on a happy note. And
of course, we have Isaiah’s vision of a Holy God. He is high and lifted up!
2 Kings 15:32-38
2 Chronicles 27:1-9
Micah 1:1-16
2 Kings 16:1-9
2 Chronicles 28:1-15
Isaiah 7:1-25
More kings and prophets –
Jotham and Ahaz of Judah and Pekah of Israel.
Jotham did well, even better than his daddy Uzziah, but he still allowed
the idolatry to continue and I guess he paid for it through his son, Ahaz, who
was evil and even sacrificed his sons in the fire.
Micah prophesied doom for
Samaria and Jerusalem, as Isaiah also did.
The words from God that Micah faithfully delivered brought much anguish
to him. He believed totally, and so was
very mournful for his people and his land.
God brought the kings of Aram
and Israel against Judah but Jerusalem did not fall. However, nearly all was lost as Ahaz paid to
enlist the help of Assyria. Isaiah let
him know that Judah would pay dearly for that mistake. In Isaiah 7, a sign is spoken of as being
evidence of the truth of his prophecy. A
child will be born of a virgin and He will be called, “God with us.”
Isaiah 8:1-11:16
Oh how these words usher me
into the presence of the Holy Father, the Holy Son, and the Holy Spirit. How anyone cannot see Jesus, the banner of
salvation, throughout these chapters…well, you finish the sentence. For one to say the people of the Old Testament
times could not have had a proper understanding regarding the coming Yeshua,
Jesus (salvation of God), is just wrong.
He is there, spoken of with clarity, and that is why when we arrive at
the beginning of the Gospels, we discover there are some (though few) who are
eagerly anticipating His arrival and even recognize Him as an infant. The Old Testament is rich and clear in its
Messianic language and it could never be more clear right here!
Finally, this section may be
the most vivid portrayal of the contrast and the harmony of God’s glorious,
tender love and His terrifying, blazing wrath.
Isaiah 12:1-6
Isaiah 17:1-14
2 Chronicles 28:16-21
2 Kings 16:10-18
2 Chronicles 28:22-25
2 Kings 18:1-8
2 Chronicles 29:1-2
2 Kings 15:30-31
2 Kings 17:1-4
Hosea 1:1-2:13
We open with a joyous song of
praise for salvation, but it is prophetic only.
Afterwards the prophetic curses on Israel and Damascus continue. And then we spend time looking at the
detestable King Ahaz. I wonder sometimes
if I will ever lose the naivety that feels shock and confusion and amazement
when someone acts like Ahaz. It seems
like he just did not believe in God at all or maybe he just refused to believe
in humility. His arrogance appears to
have taken control of his ability to reason.
I was surprised that his son Hezekiah was so pleasing to the Lord. Where did he learn such reverence and right
behavior? Since he reigned jointly with
his father, one wonders if his father may have been stricken by God in some way
like Uzziah had been. Or else he
repented and it is not recorded (but that is not likely). Surely Hezekiah must have been cared for in
his youth by a godly priest or caretaker.
Hosea brings us the bittersweet emotions from the heart of God toward
His people Israel. It is both
heartbreaking and heartwarming. Sin is
so ugly and yet God’s love is unfailing.
Hosea 2:14-8:14
The Lord’s mercy endures
forever while His discipline is only for a season. This section opens with a prophecy that
reaches farther even than our time. It
is similar to parts of Isaiah’s prophecy in relation to the animals and the
weapons of war. But in the meantime most
of the remainder has to do with an earlier payday for the children of Israel –
for their sins and idolatry that they have persisted in, unrepentant, despite
the calls sent from God to repent.
God is especially displeased
with the priests who are glad
when the people sin!
So since God is merciful but
must punish sin, then the message joins with all the other powerful messages of
the Old Testament and escorts us straight to the Cross where mercy and justice
meet in the perfect song of harmony. The
worst tragedy in history flows from love and becomes our salvation. May we join Him at the Cross with our own,
and share in His suffering, that we may also share in the power of His
resurrection.
Hosea 9:1-14:9
Then there are the passages
where God seems to lament for his son,
Isaiah 28:1-29
2 Kings 17:5
2 Kings 18:9-12
2 Kings 17:6-41
Isaiah 1:1-20
Isaiah is “tragically”
precise as God speaks through him to warn Israel of the imminent Assyrian
invasion and fall of Samaria. The
Assyrians are apparently relentless as they besiege Samaria for 3 years –
Samaria falls and the people are displaced to other lands.
Even though I have read this
before, including the prophecies, it still melts my heart. It is so tragic because God still loves these
people so much. His anger toward sin is
righteous but His love for His people is everlasting. It is both heartbreaking and attractive. It attracts one to God to thank Him for His
everlasting mercy.
There are many parallels
between Israel in 730 B.C. (appr.) and America today. I do not know if America’s sin is yet full,
but she is progressing toward a rendezvous with the Almighty at a rapid
pace. May God have mercy on us all. O God, You are the God Who saves! Save us today! Amen.
Isaiah 1:21-5:30
To me the central statement
that feeds it all is 5:16. “The holiness
of God is displayed by His righteousness.”
Most define God as a being who is less than holy, who winks at sin - a
good ole boy. But God says in 5:20 that
“destruction is certain for those who say that evil is good and good is evil…” No matter how awful our conduct or thoughts
are, we must never think that God is anything less than perfectly holy, and
completely righteous, but we also must never forget that God is love. This divine love is unlike man’s definition
of love. This love expresses no joy
toward iniquity. Indeed, God’s love,
holiness and wrath are not parts of God.
They are not components or compartments.
God is simple, not complex. His
holiness, love, and wrath all define one another – indeed they are one stream
from the Spirit of God. Sin must be
crushed while the sinner is rescued, and it is so in each one who looks to the
cross. This kind of love is
self-sacrificing in rescuing the objects of the love.
Isaiah prophesies a very dismal
future for Israel and Judah for the near time, but he prophesies brightly
regarding the distant future. God’s love
is eternal. His mercy endures forever.
2 Kings 16:19-20
2 Chronicles 28:26-27
Isaiah 13:1-16:14
Operation Clean Sweep begins
to take place. Israel is history (for
now) – Ahaz is just about history. The
prophecies given now look forward to the judgment of Israel and Judah’s
enemies. The accuracy of these
prophecies is perfect, which provides an excellent handle for honest, seeking skeptics
to grab onto, and that is why I think it is so important that this is dated so
well. We are even given the time of
Ahaz’s death relative to the prophecies and we are told that
God may allow evil kingdoms
to be His arm of punishment on the people He loves but unless such kingdoms
humble themselves and acknowledge God, their judgment will ultimately be far
worse. As we see in the case of
Ó 2004 C. E. Briggs