Mon.’s Devo - Israel’s Fall

Read: 2 Kings 17:1-18:12; Acts 20:1-38; Psalm 148:1-14; Proverbs 18:6-7 Hoshea had murdered Pekah to become king of Israel while Ahaz was reigning in Judah. Hoshea ruled for nine years and worshipped idols though not as bad as those before him had. He was attacked by King Shalamaneser of Assyria and forced to pay heavy tribute. Hoshea tried to get out of the payment by hiring the Egyptians to come help him. King Shalamaneser found out and besieged Samaria. The city fell after three years and all the people were taken captive to Assyrian towns. *** This happened because of their years of worshiping other gods and not following the Lord. God had sent prophets to get them to repent, but they ignored the warnings and continued in their sin. God swept them away and only the tribe of Judah remained. *** The Assyrians sent their own people to live in Israel to replace the Israelites. But these foreigners didn’t worship the Lord, so God sent lions to kill some of them. They reported back to the king of Assyria asking for Jewish priests to come and teach them how to worship their God, so they could live in peace. The king sent one of the priests to teach them how to worship the Lord but, they continued to worship their gods along with God. God is a jealous god and doesn’t share his glory with other gods. *** Meanwhile in Judah, Hezekiah was ruling. He was 25 years old when he came to rule and reigned for 28 years. He did what was right in the sight of the Lord like David did. He removed the pagan shrines, the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles, he crushed the bronze serpent that Moses had made because the people had made it a god. He refused to pay the king of Assyria tribute and conquered the Philistines. *** Shalmaneser of Assyria attacked Israel during his rule and it fell in his ninth year. *** In Acts, Demetrius had stirred up a riot in Ephesus because Paul’s group had cost his business so much loss. The mayor diffused the riot and everyone went home. Paul encouraged the believers and left for Macedonia. He went from there to Greece and stayed three months. Paul had many converts from all the places he had visited that traveled with him. They met him in Troas. It was Passover week. They met to eat the Lord’s Supper and listen to Paul preach since he was leaving the next morning. At midnight, Paul was still teaching. A young man fell asleep who was sitting next to the window. He fell three stories. Paul ran down and took him in his arms. He professed he was alive and well. They came back up and ate the Passover meal together. Paul left and went to Assos and met the rest of his team there. They sailed to the island of Amos and then on to Miletus. Paul was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem in time for Pentecost. *** At Miletus, he sent letters to the elders at the church at Ephesus asking them to meet him there. He gave them his last good-bye because he was about to be in Jerusalem where he knew he would suffer even more persecution and prison. He encouraged the leaders to feed the flock they had and to beware of false teachers. They were to always teach the message of God’s grace through Christ. It is God’s grace that will enable us to receive the inheritance God has for us. He told them to let generosity and giving be their main motivation. They gave Paul a teary good-bye, then escorted him to his ship. *** What a powerful leader and example Paul was to them and is to us. *** Lord, may we be bold like Paul and put everything in the right perspective. Paul lived to die for Christ. May we have the same motivation. May our lives be poured out for your glory.