King James Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: Just Follow My Commands
Date: Sunday April 22, 2012
Today's Chapters: 2 Kings 15-17

Hello My Friend,

The word command means to govern, lead or direct; to have or to exercise supreme authority over. We all have commands to follow, whether it is by an employer, the government, a parent, or teacher, we all have to submit to a higher authority. Believe it or not, those who receive Jesus Christ as their Savior are under the authority of God. We are more than a creation of God we are God's, but the great thing about that is God is ours too and when we live by His commands there is nothing He will not do for us. When God gives us commands they are not to keep us from enjoying life they are to keep us enjoying the life He gives us. We would save ourselves a lot or pain and suffering if we would just follow His commands, mainly the first three.

“I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;” - Exodus 20:2-5.

Those who receive Christ as their Savior are brought out of the house of bondage, they are set free from Satan, hell, and sin, but sadly many never know that because they never take the time to follow His commands. Azariah, also known as Uzziah, he had done more to restore lost territory and strengthen the prestige of Judah than any king since the kingdom divided. Just as the others, Azariah did not follow all of God's commands and toward the end of his reign he became leprous, which we learn of in more detail in 2 Chronicles. “Sixteen years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned two and fifty years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done; Save that the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burnt incense still on the high places. And the LORD smote the king, so that he was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house. And Jotham the king's son was over the house, judging the people of the land.” - 2 Kings 15:2-5.

God's judgments or chastisements are not meant to be an eternal punishment for sin, He forgives and forgets sin when we sincerely go before Him seeking forgiveness, but they are meant to get us to examine and make some changes in our lives. “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” - Hebrews 12:5,6.

The first command that God gave Israel is, “Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods Before Me.” However, for the majority of Israel they had been without God for so long that they had no idea who He was, let alone what His commands were, so, they followed whatever god they learned of. Judah on the other hand had been the only kingdom still worshiping God publicly, but now, even that was about to change. “Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD his God, like David his father. But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel. And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.“ - 2 Kings 16:2-4.

The sad part about all this is, people truly are desperate for help and hope, they want God in their lives, but they find hope the false gods instead because they are trying to remain in the same life they are in. God loves His people and while He really does not leave them, He does not want to see them living in sin. Therefore, He will close His eyes to the sin to where it is as if His presence is no longer with them. There is a quote that comes to mind, “If God seems far away, guess who moved.” God is right where He always has been, sin draws people away from the true God and toward the false god. “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:” - Romans 1:22-24.

Now, with both nations making up and or following other false gods, God in all his jealous rage has had enough. He no longer wants to see them in such an evil state, He begins breaking up the kingdoms, first, with the Northern Kingdom. The Samaritans came in, took control of Israel, took most of the Israelites captive and brought them to Assyria. “Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years. In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods, And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made...Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.” - 2 Kings 17:5-8,18.

Now, with most of Israel was in Assyria and with the Samaritans in Israel, one might think that God was no where to be found, but God does not want just one nation to know Him, He wants all nations to know Him. The Samaritans quickly learned that Israel's God was among them. “And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which slew some of them. Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land. Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land.” - 2 Kings 17:25-27.

The amazing thing about God is that while He may turn His face to sin He does not cast us out, he may relocate us to other places, but it is to get us right with Him. Plus on top of that He gets others to come to know Him in the process. “Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” - James 5:19,20.

Today's Psalm: 78:7 - “That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:”

Today's Proverb: 3:1 - “My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:”

Today's Prayer: God, You are so merciful and forgiving that it can be easy to forget that we can just hand everything over to You and You will help us through it. No matter what I have done in life, You still love me and want the best for me, no matter how many times I mess up., and You never leave nor forsake me either. Thank You, God for all that You do for me, lead me and guide me, help me to learn and follow all Your commands so I can life the best life that You have in store for me until You come to get me and bring me to my permanent home. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Enjoy the rest of your day/night.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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