Sonshine's Journal

Honesty is a trait that pleases God. The people brought their offerings to help repair the temple and it was placed in the boxes outside the temple. The priests would count it after it was filled and then given to the workmen. This is said of them “Moreover, they did not require an accounting from the men into whose hand they gave the money to pay to those who did the work, for they dealt faithfully.” [2 Kings 12:15] Nothing is said of the temptation as they stood by the collection boxes. The only statement is that they were honest and faithful. What does God say about me as I am given the charge to stand by and protect God’s Word? Am I honest? Am I faithful? What will history record about me? About you? 

Honesty is a trait that pleases both man and God. Be honest today in all you say and do. 

The only queen to rule in the southern kingdom, Athaliah is still another proof that those who disregard God’s Word, will bring God’s discipline on themselves and on those they lead. She was the daughter of Arab and Jezebel and as such, was a worshiper of Baal. God’s patience for her came to an end after she thought she could end the line of Judah through murder and corruption. But, God will not be mocked. He rules and reigns in the heavens and His will was displayed when He saved the true son of Judah’s ancestry, Joash. He was raised by the high priest in all the ways of the Lord and will serve the Lord all the years that Jehoiada lived. 

Satan may try to usurp God’s will but God’s ways are not our ways. He rules, He raises up even a little child to fulfill His will. 

Children love the story of Naaman and the servant girl. But, this is not just a story to entertain, it has far reaching spiritual truths. Isaiah wrote that God’s ways and His deeds are not like our deeds, …for just as the sky is higher than the earth, so His deeds are superior to our deeds and His plans superior to our plans. [Is 55:8 paraphrase]

Naaman hearing about the prophet Elisha and his power to heal, came to the him to be healed of his leprosy. He came with a retinue of many, gifts galore but Elisha said go and wash in the River Jordan. He left in a huff saying the Jordan was dirty. It took one of his soldiers to say to him:  if Elisha told you to do something hard, would he do it?  Why not then do something simple? Naaman humbled himself and lo and behold he was healed! 

The little captured girl, name unknown except to God, taught Naaman this principle through her faith in God’s ways. Whoever then humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matt 18:4

One of the things we learn is that whom God calls, He empowers. That was true for Elijah and Elisha. Both were used to impact the Israelites at time when they had gone astray spiritually. Both Elijah and Elisha were used by God to reveal His truth and His power and to change lives for eternity. How about us? Are we bold like these two men? Are we challenging wrong beliefs so men will turn to God?  

God raised up Elijah to confront King Ahaziah and his security in the idol Baal instead of Jehovah. Sometimes when we are so hardened He has to reach down into his bag of humor to try to touch the heart. King Ahaziah did not want to do it God’s way, so God used a humorous but tragic story to get his attention, but even with that Ahaziah did not repent. What scripture does not tell us but is inferred is that the King’s unbelief reached not just the palace staff but his army commanders as well. Two groups of 50 were annihilated by the fire of God when they tempted Elijah with caustic words. Yet, it seems that the third commander humbled himself instead of challenging Elijah. Was his heart turned? We may never know until eternity. One thing we can learn from this story is that God is extremely patient to draw men to Himself. The two commanders and their company died as did the king, but the one commander and his troupe did not die. Humility in the face of God is what He seeks and desires.  

Where is your pride getting in the way of your need for repentance? The principle is clear: Pro 29:23 A person’s pride will bring him low, but one who has a lowly spirit will gain honor.  

Pro 16:18 Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. 

We have no idea who the author of Obadiah is, but his message to Edom is very clear: “you should not…” and then he recounts the awful pillage of Judah and Jerusalem by them. No wonder God said: “I have hated Esau.” We see through the eyes of Obadiah exactly what Edom did when the Babylonians came to conquer them. When someone ridicules a believer or seeks their demise, God’s righteous anger is front and center. He will not stand idle when this takes place. He foretold the end of Edom and it happened just as Obadiah wrote. “Because you violently slaughtered your relatives, the people of Jacob, shame will cover you, and you will be destroyed forever.” 

Asaph wrote Psalm 79 and echoed the thoughts of God regarding those in trouble because of their enemies “Defend the cause of the poor and the fatherless. Vindicate the oppressed and suffering. Rescue the poor and needy. Deliver them from the power of the wicked.”  But, Edom did not and so God’s patience wore thin and He promised their destruction.

What is the lesson for us today from these passages? It is what Asaph wrote: defend the poor, vindicate the oppressed and suffering. Today we have ample opportunities to do just that. Where is your money going ? Where are your talents being shared? Are you and I seeking how to be a servant to those in need? 

King Jehoshaphat might have taken a wrong turn when he went into battle with King Ahab and saw him mortally wounded. He may have remembered the words of Micaiah that Ahab would die in battle. That image must have crossed his mind many times just as when we disobey God. We will have to live with that the rest of our lives. When someone we know dies, it is heartache, but more so if we have been a part of his demise as Jehoshaphat was. The scriptures are silent on his thoughts but we do read that Jehu came and admonished him and that was a turning point in his life. From then on he served and worshiped Yahweh. Not only that but he took advantage of his position to draw the nation back to Yahweh. 

What has transpired in your life that might have similar consequences but when you turned back to God, His grace was sufficient and He used that to teach us the power of forgiveness and the blessing of His grace. This is a good lesson on the blessings of God and His grace. 

Do you ever wonder as you read the historical accounts of these kings if they were more concerned about their image than being obedient to the Lord? Take Jehoshaphat; you read that he was wealthy and greatly respected but you do not read that he was wise like Solomon or King David.  On the outside, it seems that he cared about following the Lord but instead he chose to go with  Ahab’s evil counselors advice and went into battle. He was persuaded by Ahab to dress as a king but Ahab would disguise himself even after hearing the true and wise Micaiah that he would die in battle. 

Somehow as I read this account I am reminded of Psalm 1: How blessed is the one who does not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand in the pathway with sinners, or sit in the assembly of scoffers. Yet Jehoshaphat ignored all three of these commands. He followed the advice of Ahab, the most wicked king of the east. He stood in his throne room and heard the lies of the wicked counselors and heard the wise counsel of the true priest, yet ignored it. He sat beside Ahab and agreed with his plan. Why Jehoshaphat? 

The question is this: how did that work out for these two kings? Ahab did indeed die, Jehoshaphat was reprimanded upon returning to Jerusalem. 

There is a principle here that comes from that psalm. We have one king and His Name is Jesus who said: Follow Me. End of discussion. 

Although Arab was wicked, as was his wife Jezebel, God saw the humbling spirit  when told of God’s plan for him of imminent death. Because of that of that He postponed his judgment. How merciful is our God! There is a principle here that we must not miss and it is this: God looks at the heart and when he sees us humble ourselves He may (not always but many times) postpone His judgment for our sins, even the sin of murder! 

That is an important principle to share with those who are deep in their sins. God sees the decrepit and sinfulness of ourselves but He patiently waits and even sends warnings to us about His plan to end our lives, but He also sees if we humble ourselves He will relent, perhaps. 

I cling to the truth of this story for that one reason alone. Christ came to pay the debt of our sin. He also sends us many to warn us of what our destiny might be so we can turn to Him and be saved.

Remember this principle: our sins are scarlet but His righteousness is pure. His patience is beyond my understanding. Peter wrote: He is not willing any should perish but all come to repentance. Is there a person in your sphere of influence for whom you are praying and yet not seeing any remorse? Don’t quit praying is what Jesus said but pray for their repentance. 

Elijah has been faithful to honor God and teach His Word. He obeyed God when it was a strange request, but he obeyed. Sometimes God asks us to do what we think is strange but in the end we can see the wisdom of God. 

God said to Elijah: go to the brook and the ravens will feed you? How odd. Ravens are dirty birds! Go to the town in the Gentile territory and there a widow will feed you. What? Elijah is a Jew and she will be a Gentile! Again how odd. Just like the Samaritan woman said to Jesus: Jews did not spend time with Gentiles. But the oddest thing was that both the widow and the palace person, Obadiah, immediately thought of their sin when God asked them to do something that would require them to trust God. What do I think about if God asks me to do something strange? Do I immediately respond with;  what have I done that God is bringing my sin to my remembrance instead of what Isaiah said; here I am, send me. 

What is the lesson here for us? God might ask us to do something odd or strange but remember these words from Isaiah: God’s ways are higher than ours. What He asks and what He plans are to bring glory to Him. That is what happened to the widow and Obadiah. God blessed both and He will bless us when we obey. Satan will try to do just as he did with the widow and Obadiah to distract us from being obedient. Beware of Satan’s work and trust God. 

Good kings & bad kings. The stories remind us of this principle: God raises up and puts down leaders for His purpose. What can be the purpose of these bad kings? They show us the principle of Jeremiah 17:9, the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked, who can know it…but only God. He allows the wicked to reign until men realize their need of God and turn to Him or if they refuse, their time will be cut short and another will come to take their place. The cycle continues. 

We could take that same principle and look at men today. Some are “good” but many are “bad.” Both types of leaders reveal their heart. Jesus told the parable of the wheat and tares. The owner said to let both grow until harvest time and then the tares will be burned but the wheat will survive and be made into bread. 

Today stop and consider and read closely these stories to ask yourself: am I wheat in the field or a tare?