August 2: The Reforms of Josiah

THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2012

The Reforms of Josiah

In today’s passage, we read about some positive changes that come from interaction with God’s Word.  Even as Jeremiah has foretold further destruction, King Josiah brings sweeping changes to a nation that had strayed from the truth.  There are several means by which this revival transpires, which all start from the Lord Himself.

 

 

The value of leadership.  “When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes.  He gave these orders to Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micha, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant:  ‘Go and inquire of the Lord for me and for the remnant in Israel and Judah about what is written in this book that has been found.  Great is the Lord’s anger that is poured out on us because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord; they have not accepted in accordance with all that is written in this book.” (2 Chronicles 34:19-21)

 

We see that God has moved Josiah’s heart, challenging him to bring reform to a flagging nation.  He calls the people to Jerusalem for a time of repentance and attacks the sources that has drawn people away, literally destroying the high places, altars to other gods, and physical idols.  He understands that these sites had entrapped people.  A great leader shows concern for the whole person and for the least – and Josiah displays this love for others clearly.

 

In today’s postmodern thinking, the majority of the population has accepted relativism, which argues that each person may determine his or her own truth.  This method appears to work well during times of prosperity, as it brings forth temporal “freedom” during our earthly life.  Yet, the Scriptures clearly indicate that, if we do not follow obediently after God’s Word, we are deceiving ourselves and will become in bondage to sin.  The prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah point to Judah’s bondage to sin and the coming righteous judgment.  As Sovereign King of the universe, we would do well to show leadership like Josiah, taking God at His Word and living according to it wholeheartedly and encouraging others to do the same.

 

 

The value of repentance.  [Huldah speaking] “‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard:  Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the Lord.  Now I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be buried in peace.  Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place and on those who live here.’” (2 Chronicles 34:26-28a)

 

The nation’s change of heart draws out the compassion of God.  He relents in His judgments for a time.  The truth of the Word demands a response, and we honor God by acknowledging our shortcomings and turning back to the Lord when we have strayed from Him.  Isaiah 55:11 comes to mind:

 

“So is my word that goes out from my mouth:

       It will not return to me empty,

       but will accomplish what I desire

       and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

 

Also, 1 John 1:9 discusses the effects of personal repentance:  “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

 

 

The value of the covenant.  “The king stood by his pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord – to follow the Lord and keep his commands, regulations and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, and to obey the words of the covenant written in this book.

 

“Then he had everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin pledge themselves to it; the people of Jerusalem did this in accordance with the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.

 

“Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the territory belonging to the Israelites, and he had all who were present in Israel serve the Lord their God.  As long as he lived, they did not fail to follow the Lord, the God of their fathers.”

 

Commitment to the truth brings about actions that honor God.  The people followed behind Josiah and lived for the Lord through the remainder of their days.  To what or whom have you committed yourself?  How do you remind yourself of that commitment?  How can your commitment to the Lord bring you closer to Him?

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Jeremiah 17:19 – 20

Jeremiah 17:19 – 20

 

My mom grew up in Sile, New Mexico, a tiny town located between Cochiti and Santo Domingo Indian Pueblos.  The history of these pueblos stretches back for centuries and there is evidence of these people all over the land.  When I was younger, my brother, cousins and I would embark on grand adventures where we went on archeological digs and knew we were Indiana Jones in the making.  We would explore my grandma's land and squeeze through wire fences onto neighbor's land in order to find pieces of broken pottery that peppers this land.  We found a good number of broken pieces over the years, always with hopes that we would gather enough pieces to recreate the original piece.  Of course that never happened, but I couldn't help but think all those pieces that had been shattered, what once was a beautiful, practical, used pot or jug, resembling the many pieces of Indian pottery my mom and grandma have.  Each piece is precious and hand made by those great people.  For many it is their lively hood and they have artistic skills and craftsmanship that is beyond me.   

 

In the book of Jeremiah we have seen God as the Potter and have seen Israel as the pot.   What a practical, yet powerful image of the Creator and creation.  Knowing what I know about pottery, I know it involves design, time, and the major elements of earth, water, and fire.  The Potter uses His hands to mold and shape the pot.  On a spinning wheel, the shape is manipulated and unique.  It takes patience and precision to make the piece just the way you want it.  To harden, the pot needs to be put in a very hot oven to bake the clay.  We'll get to this later.  The finished product is hard, ready to use, but with one drop, one bad bump, it can crack or shatter beyond repair.   God wanted Jeremiah to use this image of the broken pot when speaking to Judah.  God was still their Creator and God had the power to shatter and break them.  But the people refused to listen and went as far as punishing Jeremiah for his message sent from God.

 

I can't imagine being in Jeremiah's position and you can see in the scripture the struggles he faced both spiritually and physically.  He is very transparent in this book.  He was shackled up in front of the very dwelling place of God, a humiliation and unpleasant place to be.  He was rebuked by the leaders and the people, facing insults and backs turned against him. I can appreciate Jeremiah's frustration and anger towards God, because I am guilty of the same.  It's easy to question the Maker and wish you had never been born.  He cursed his parents and lifted his hands and eyes up to God asking why he was even there.  Life is not easy and evil is all around us.  We have all faced struggles where giving up is the only thing that makes sense.  We question the Creator.  I love Jeremiah and see him as a great example because he has these conversations with God many times, and every time, he ends with absolute love, worship, and thanksgiving. 

 

In my NKJV chapter 20:7-18 has the title "Jeremiah's Unpopular Ministry."  He took God's message to a people who refused and did not believe.  There are many missionaries all around the world that can share the same title of their ministry.  I think of those missionaries in Europe, in the Middle East, North Africa, and in Asia.  They too take a message from God, but of hope and salvation in Christ Jesus.  In my Bible, I have a note from 8.13.03 with a little sun and the note, "God, make this my desire."  20: 9b says, "But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not."  Knowing that the pot must go through a burning oven to take hold, I pray that God would be that fire in my life.  I prayed back in 2003 that my heart would be on fire for God and His word that people would watch me burn.  This is my prayer again tonight.  That we would continue to fall in love with God's word that we would be grounded in faith, that it would fill our hearts, and we would burn.  Be a solid, and as Paul said in II Corinthians 4:7-10, "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels [jars of clay,] that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.  We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed, we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken, struck down, but not destroyed – always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus."  

Re: July 31

Awesome and so true. 

Chuck Goulart

203-943-0961

Sent from my phone ignore typos

On Jul 31, 2012, at 18:08, Apryl Steinmetz <apryl.steinmetz@yahoo.com> wrote:

The heart is deceitful above all things 

and beyond cure. 

Who can understand it? 

"I the Lord search the heart 

and examine the mind, 

to reward a man according to his conduct, 

according to what his deeds deserve." 

~Jeremiah 17:9-10

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

~2 Corinthians 10:4-5

Have you ever done or thought anything that you wanted to keep from someone? Of course, we all have. Our minds and our hearts are devious, dark, impure, polluted... If other people could see inside our minds and read our thoughts, how ashamed, embarrassed, disgraced would we all feel. For me (and I'm sure all of you can relate), most of the sins that I commit are in my mind. I would be horrified beyond belief if my thoughts were made public for all to see and hear. 

Most of us may feel that we do a pretty good job hiding our corruption from other people. But we can never hide any part of ourselves from God. He searches our hearts and examines our minds. Not one thought, motivation, emotion, or feeling can hide from Him. He knows us completely inside and out. Why are there times that we forget that He knows all? We continue to allow our minds to wander aimlessly or indulge in sinful thoughts all while God is there.

I love the way that 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 describes how thoughts are to be controlled. Overcoming the sins of the mind is a battle that can only be won if we take captive every thought and make them obedient to Christ. And the only way we can do this is by surrendering to Him and allowing His strength to win the battle. Remember: there is nothing we can hide from Him, and He loves us anyway!

July 31

The heart is deceitful above all things 

and beyond cure. 

Who can understand it? 

"I the Lord search the heart 

and examine the mind, 

to reward a man according to his conduct, 

according to what his deeds deserve." 

~Jeremiah 17:9-10

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

~2 Corinthians 10:4-5

Have you ever done or thought anything that you wanted to keep from someone? Of course, we all have. Our minds and our hearts are devious, dark, impure, polluted... If other people could see inside our minds and read our thoughts, how ashamed, embarrassed, disgraced would we all feel. For me (and I'm sure all of you can relate), most of the sins that I commit are in my mind. I would be horrified beyond belief if my thoughts were made public for all to see and hear. 

Most of us may feel that we do a pretty good job hiding our corruption from other people. But we can never hide any part of ourselves from God. He searches our hearts and examines our minds. Not one thought, motivation, emotion, or feeling can hide from Him. He knows us completely inside and out. Why are there times that we forget that He knows all? We continue to allow our minds to wander aimlessly or indulge in sinful thoughts all while God is there.

I love the way that 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 describes how thoughts are to be controlled. Overcoming the sins of the mind is a battle that can only be won if we take captive every thought and make them obedient to Christ. And the only way we can do this is by surrendering to Him and allowing His strength to win the battle. Remember: there is nothing we can hide from Him, and He loves us anyway!

Monday July 30th - Jeremiah 13:1-14:18

Chuck and I have given our children rules and boundaries that they know they have to live by.  We have given them these, not because we are control freaks and preventers of anything "fun" but, because we know these rules and boundaries will keep them safe and will allow them to live a rich and fulfilling life without the risk of great harm to themselves and to others.

Breaking the rules comes with a price.  Our children have been fully warned of the consequences of breaking the rules.  They have been made fully aware of the price that their act (or acts) of disobedience will cause.  Despite this warning they can sometimes tend to push the limits, to stretch those boundaries, to test the patience's, gentleness, and the compassion of Chuck and I as their father and mother.  Sometimes their desire is to live outside of our established boundaries and within their own set of rules.  Yet, they still want to enjoy the benefits that we, their parents, provide for them. 

What they can't see are all the danger's that possibly lie outside of the rules and boundaries that they would set.  They only see rainbows and sunshine, smiles and freedom.  We see the storm clouds that lie ahead.  We see the severe thunderstorms – storms that would send trees and power lines down upon their newly paved paths in life.  Things that would stop them and possibly hurt them.  But no matter how much we warn them, how much we explain that we know and understand more because we have experience in life.  Sometimes they just can't (or won't) see, won't trust us and eventually will cross the line of no return.

What awaits them on the other side of disobedience is justice.  We still love them.  We still have compassion and a desire for them to return to their lives lived within the safety of our rules and boundaries.  The thing is we know that they need to learn from this mistake or they will surely make it again.  All the warnings, all the consequences that we have laid out before them in the past will now be given to them.  The full price of their disobedience is now on their shoulders.  Punishment is handed down to them to bear.  They thought their boundaries were small before, now they start to feel as if there is barely enough room to move – they feel captive.

Part of the problem is the storm clouds of their disobedient choices still lie ahead in their future.  They haven't arrived yet.  So, they mistakenly think that we are crazy.  That we truly are parents that are nothing more then control freaks that don't desire them to enjoy anything good in life.  We become the mean parents.

Sometimes their punishment is to simply let them feel the full brunt of the storm that is headed their way.  To let them learn the hard and much more painful way.  As a parent it can be very difficult to do this but it is so necessary in order for them to learn to trust us and to see the importance of our rules and boundaries in their lives.

At other times we know that the storm that lies ahead is a hurricane that will completely destroy them.  We have to step in and stop them.  We have to punish them and remove them from the harm that is coming.  This is when our children truly think that we don't love them.  They think we are heartless.  They don't see compassion, love, gentleness, patience, or forgiveness.  They think those things are gone because their stubborn, pride-filled hearts still don't fully understand what lies ahead and they can't see everything that we have and are doing for their benefit (protection).

This is exactly what we are seeing in our reading today in Jeremiah 13:1-14:18.  God appears to no longer have compassion on his children.  His punishment seems harsh and heavy handed.  He seems like a Father who is filled with nothing but anger, out to destroy those he calls his own.  But he is still the very same God he always has been and always will be. 

"And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.  Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation."  Exodus 34:6-7

There is a storm on the horizon of Israel's wicked and it is unlike any that has been seen.  It is the full wrath of God.  Sin cannot remain in the presence of a Holy God.  What his children deserved was complete annihilation.  But because God is loving and just, compassionate and holy, he spares them from the brunt of that storm and instead allows them to suffer the consequences of disobedience that he laid out in the Law that was given to Moses.  It is an act of love.  He desires to turn their hearts back to him.  He loves them too much to allow them to remain in their sins that push them further away from him.  His goal is to change their hearts not just their actions and bring them back to a right relationship with him.

I am just like the Israelites.  Sometimes I push the boundaries that God has set for me.  I take advantage of his patience and gentle nature.  I focus on his gracious and merciful heart forgetting often that he still is a just and holy God who loves me too much to let me always have things "my way".  I set up idols in my life, things that I put before him.  I think I can do things in my strength and that I don't need him.  I want to live my life my way but still enjoy his blessings poured upon my life as well. 

But God loves me so much he never lets me stay outside of the boundaries he has set for long.  He will do whatever it takes to bring me back.  He lets me experience the consequences of my choices.  When this happens I often find that I question God's unchangeable character instead of looking at my own which is flawed.  I question his love for me.  I question his authority in my life.  I question his plan for my life.  I question his ability to forgive.  I question my place in his family.  I should never question any of these things but rather remember that he is the unchanging God who created me with a purpose.  I need to learn from the place I am in and allow it to grow me.  Allow it change that which needs to be changed.  I need to allow God, my father, to mold me into the child he created me to be.  Sometimes that process isn't easy but in the end I will have a heart that has learned to love the boundaries that God has given me to live in.  I will truly be able to live a life of freedom and joy.

Jer 7-9

Jeremiah Chapter 7 

As we think about the book of Jeremiah as a whole we are conscious of the fact that he is dealing with God's people, and these scriptures speak directly to you and to me. God's people refers to the church that we know, people like us who have their trust in God. We will never be bothered with worshipping idols made of wood or stone or bow down to an image that is carved of gold or silver, but how many of us are prepared to recognize that in our daily life we fall into ways and habits of doing things that belong to the world and do not REPAEAT do NOT belong to the mind and heart of God. That was what Jeremiah found.

 

Jeremiah Chapter 8

As we continue our look in the book of Jeremiah we stumble upon to something that is very sobering. Jeremiah learned as he watched his people that they were not only going the wrong way but they intended to do it deliberately go the wrong way. The Christian church has a great heritage. We can go back all the way to the Apostle Paul, who came

to know the Lord Jesus Christ and preached the Gospel with such fervor and passion . Perhaps we think of great commentaries of God inspired men who were able to take the Word of God, and show it to the people in a way that brought great blessings and understanding. Some of us have had people in our own family whose names remain great in our hearts and minds, and who are a blessing to us to this day. We would like to think that with all the help that has come in the past, the church would not go wrong now. But here is a strange thing: people can get into the habit of doing things differently, and feel that the new way is right. In Jeremiah's time this is brought out in a amazing way.

 

Jeremiah Chapter 9

As believers in Christ, the church that we belong to and the community in which we live.

Have a definite relation to our spiritual existence and eternal destiny. The kind of spiritual life that shows itself in the church we attend makes a huge difference. We read about what happened in the time of Jeremiah with much interest and interest to learn from mistakes. We feel a great sympathy for Jeremiah when we read:

 

(Jeremiah 9:1) Oh that my heart were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people.

 

    Jeremiah is sometimes called "the weeping prophet." Even the "cry baby" Every now and again someone implies that he was a eternal pessimist, a man who looked on the dark side of things. I have come to believe that the reason for this was that Jeremiah lived in a day when weeping was the only proper response to these issues. Jeremiah loved his town and community of Jerusalem. It was his task to preach the Gospel at a time when the whole nation of people were wandering away from God. It made him feel very sad.

 

He continues to describe them in their spiritual degeneration: And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for

they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know me, says the Lord (Jeremiah 9:3).

Jeremiah accused his people of a lack of integrity Take your time every one of his neighbors, and trust not in any brother, for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbor will walk with slanders. And they will deceive everyone his neighbor, and

will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves, to commit iniquity. The habitation is in the midst of deceit, through deceit they refuse to know me, says the Lord.

 

Do you see that the issues we face are no different? We are surrounded by so many distractions, and idols that lead us away from the Lord.

 

Before you can defeat an enemy, we must identify what our distractions are that derail us from meeting with GOD? Prayer, singing, and reading His word keeps us focused on the right thins.

 

Identify your distractions and put God before them. If Computers are a distraction for you spend time with God before you turn on your computer etc…….  

 

 

Chuck Goulart

 203-943-0961

Friday, July 27, 2012 - Jeremiah 5:14-6:30

Friday, July 27, 2012
Jeremiah 5:14-6:30

God is going to punish Israel and Judah through the nation of Babylon.
But why? Steve Edwards spoke at length in yesterday's blog about the
sin of spiritual adultery as reason. Today's passage confirms this sin
as well; "As you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your own
land, so now you will serve foreigners in a land not your own"
(Jeremiah 6:19). In addition, Israel and Judah had many other sins,
which I've listed below (not exhaustive), from today's reading:

1) Among my people are the wicked who lie in wait like men who snare
birds and like those who set traps to catch people. (Jeremiah 5:26)
2) Like cages full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; they
have become rich and powerful and have grown fat and sleek. (Jeremiah
5:27)
3) Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not seek justice. They do
not promote the case of the fatherless; they do not defend the just
cause of the poor. (Jeremiah 5:28)
4) The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own
authority, and my people love it this way. (Jeremiah 5:31)
5) As a well pours out its water, so she pours out her wickedness.
Violence and destruction resound in her; her sickness and wounds are
ever before me. (Jeremiah 6:7)
6) From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets
and priests alike, all practice deceit. (Jeremiah 6:13)

In other words, when a nation follows their way over God's way, evil
becomes the norm. The wicked destroy the innocent. People gain riches
through extortion and deception. The defenseless (orphans, the poor,
the homeless) are treated unjustly. Spiritual leaders arrogantly use
God's name to follow their own agenda. Wickedness flows like water.
Violence and destruction is prevalent. Across the socioeconomic scale,
all live lives of selfish ambition.

I must confess; throughout this bible reading journey, I've often
questioned God's wrath. But after truly acknowledging the
aforementioned sin, it becomes obvious that God's wrath is a
necessity. Otherwise justice would not prevail. In today's world, I
often ask myself, "where is the justice?" In our country alone, there
are countless kidnappings, rapes, and murders. The defenseless are
treated unjustly. In fact, I have a short story about how unjust our
system is towards the defenseless:

I have a sister who was orphaned at two-years old. From the age of two
to seventeen, she lived with foster parents that seriously abused her.
Her foster parents made her sleep on the floor. They made her eat food
off the floor. They beat her. And what made matters worse is that my
sister was born with cerebral palsy. In other words, she is completely
physically disabled. She can't control the movements of her own limbs.
She has been in a wheel chair her entire life. It is in this
condition, my sister withstood all this abuse. To top it off, the
family that abused her had an outstanding reputation as foster
parents. These people weren't jailed. They still live at home as free
citizens.

Injustice? Yes. But my family is attempting to imitate the same
forgiveness and patience that God demonstrates in the Bible. The
Israelites stray from God's path for years, yet God is so merciful
that He gives His people years upon years to turn back to Him. God
waits generations at a time before bringing His righteous punishment.
God even gives warning, "Take warning, Jerusalem, or I will turn away
from you and make your land desolate so no one can live in it"
(Jeremiah 6:8). God allows His people to fall away to the point of
destruction before disciplining and saving them.

In the same way, my family must be merciful. We must forgive these
abusive foster parents. We must pray and hope for God's mercy to
change these people so that they will turn away from their sin and
towards God. If they don't choose to change, they choose destruction.
God can't cohabitate with evil. God is Holy and in order to be with
Him, we must choose to walk with Him.

"This is what the Lord says: 'Stand at the crossroads and look; ask
for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and
you will find rest for your souls'" (Jeremiah 6:16).

Let's follow God today and find rest for our souls.

God Bless,
Anthony