May 2, 2016 Bible Study — Be Careful Of the Example We Set

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change. I have been writing this blog for a little over four years now. That means that I have been reading through the Bible every year for a little over four years. I recently realized how much of a blessing doing so has been for me.

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Today, I am reading and commenting on 2 Kings 10-12.

    There is a lesson for us in the story of Jehu killing the worshipers of Baal. Jehu held an assembly for the worship of Baal, he sent word throughout the land summoning all Baal worshipers to Samaria. When they had gathered, he told them to make sure that there were no worshipers of God among them, only Baal worshipers. Is it possible that there were those among the crowd who worshiped God? Certainly, but, if so, they suffered the same fate as those who worshiped Baal because they failed to publicly acknowledge their faith. Let us never fail to publicly acknowledge our faith, even when we find ourselves in the midst of those who will oppose us for it.

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    When Athaliah, who was either Ahab’s sister or daughter(the Hebrew manuscripts are not clear), heard that her son, King Ahazia of Judah, was killed she promptly seized power. Her first act was to have all of the male members of the House of David killed. However, Ahaziah’s sister took her infant nephew, Athaliah’s grandson, and hid him from Athaliah. Sine he was raised by priests in the Temple, the boy, Joash, became devoted to God. Early in his reign he instructed the priests to use some of the money which people gave as an offering to repair the Temple. However, by the 23rd year of his reign the Temple was still in a state of disrepair. Elsewhere we are told that Joash stopped doing what was right in God’s sight when his foster father, the priest Jehoiada, died. I believe that the example Jehoiada set by not using the moneys given as offerings to repair the Temple contributed to Joash’s falling away.