Tues.’s Devo - Judah, Simeon and Reuben

Read: 1 Chronicles 4:5-5:17; Acts 25:1-27; Psalm 5:1-12; Proverbs 18:19 We continue reading the genealogy of Judah and stop to eulogize Jabez for his sincere worship of God. It is recorded in Jewish writings that his reputation as a doctor of the law drew many scribes around him in the town that was named for him (1 Ch. 2:55). His name means “grief” which was experienced by his mother in his birth. His prayer that is recorded is more like a vow that he gave before he went on a critical mission, probably in fighting the Canaanites and possessing his land. He prayed that God would bless him, protect him, and help him take his territory. God answered his prayer and Jabez prospered. *** Next, we have the descendants of Simeon which it says they didn’t have many children so their clan didn’t multiply like Judah’s. When God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply, that is still our command. Simeon’s clan didn’t do this for some reason. They were still conquering their land when Hezekiah became king. *** The sons of Reuben were recorded next. Reuben lost his status as the first born when he slept with his father’s concubine. His birthright was given to Joseph’s sons Ephraim and Manasseh. Their chief was taken to Assyria by Tiglathpileser. They had opted to live east of the Jordan instead of in the land of Israel. In the days of Saul they defeated the Hagrites and lived in their tents in Gilead. *** The tribe of Gad settled next to the tribe of Reuben in the land of Bashan. They had gotten their land from King Og when Israel was journeying with Moses to the promised land. *** In Acts, it was time for Festus to hear the case the Jews were bringing against Paul. They asked to have the trial moved to Jerusalem with plans to kill Paul on the way. Festus said the trial would be in Caesarea and they had to go there to bring their charge. *** In Caesarea, Paul was ordered to come before Festus and hear the charges brought against him. The Jews brought their false charges against Paul and Festus asked Paul if he would like to go to Jerusalem to be tried. Paul told him that he had not committed any crime against the Jewish law, against the Temple or against Caesar. So since he had done no crime he appealed to Caesar. Festus granted his request and told him he would send him to Caesar. *** Festus had to send a letter telling Caesar what Paul was being charged for and had no idea what to write. Agrippa and his wife were coming to the city so he asked them to meet with Paul and help him write the letter. *** With much pomp and ceremony, Agrippa and Bernice entered the hall of the tribunal and Paul was brought in. Tomorrow we will read about what happened. *** Lord, help us to realize the importance of family and heritage. Help us to understand what really matters in life and keep the main thing the main thing. You are the main thing.

Mon.’s Devo - Paul’s Trial

Read: 1 Chronicles 2:18-4:4; Acts 24:1-27; Psalm 4:1-8; Proverbs 18:16-18 Today we read the lineage of Hezron from the tribe of Judah. The kings came from that line. David, Solomon and almost all of the kings of Israel were from the tribe of Judah. *** In Acts, Paul was brought to his trial. The high priest Ananias and some of the elders including Tertullus came down with their case against him. Ananias accused Paul of being a plague that stirs up riots everywhere he goes. They claimed Paul was a Nazarene who was trying to profane the temple before they stopped him. The Jews with him confirmed what he said. *** When it was Paul’s turn to testify to their accusations he testified that he had been going up to Jerusalem to worship for 12 days and never stirred up a riot in the temple or in the city. He believes everything in the law that the Jews hold as true and his hope is in the same God they claim to worship. He believes like them that there will one day be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. *** Paul had worshiped peacefully in the temple until some Jews from Asia who, he added ought to be here at the trial, brought accusations against him. The only disturbance he made was when he cried out that: ‘It is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you this day.’ *** Felix knew something about “Christians” and told them that when Lysias the tribune comes down, he would decide his case. Until then, Paul would be kept in custody with visiting rights. *** Felix’s wife was Jewish and she came with Felix to hear what Paul had to say about his faith in Christ. He reasoned with them about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment which convicted and scared Felix. He sent Paul back to his cell hoping he would bribe him. Paul didn’t and stayed in prison for 2 years. Felix was succeeded by Porcias Festus. As a favor to the Jews, he kept Paul in prison. Little did he know that Paul wrote many letters to the churches which we now read in our Bibles. *** Lord, I thank you that you work everything for the good of the gospel and for our own good. Thank you that you use our trials to mold and shape us into your image. May we give ourselves to your plan and find our joy in you.

Sun.’s Devo - The Chronicles

Read: 1 Chronicles 1:1-2:17; Acts 23:11-35; Psalm 3:1-8; Proverbs 18:14-15 The Kings had been written by the prophets who were mainly in Israel, so they highlighted the kings of Israel. The Chronicles where written about the same history but by the priests who were in Judah. So we get the same stories from different perspectives. The priests held the books about the genealogies of the people so the Chronicles open with the histories of the families from the time of Adam till their present time. Today, we read from the sons of Adam to the sons of Jacob or Israel. They also kept records of the kings who reigned in the land. *** In Acts, God visited Paul at night and told him not to be afraid that he had testified in Jerusalem and he would also testify in Rome. *** There was a conspiracy to kill Paul on the way to his trial but Paul’s nephew learned of it and came and told Paul. Paul sent him to the tribune and told them what he had overheard. They sent 200 soldiers with 70 horsemen and 200 spearmen to accompany Paul to leave that night to go to the governor Felix in Caesarea. They also sent a letter telling of how Paul had been arrested by the Jews and they had conspired to kill him that next day. The tribunal had questioned Paul and found he was not guilty of death, but he had been arrested because of something to do with Jewish law. Since Paul was a Roman citizen, they brought him safely to him. *** Felix put Paul safely under guard in Herod’s praetorian. *** Lord, thank you that you are our protector and safe place. You hide us under the shadow of your wings. We praise you for all the great and mighty acts you have done in the Bible and in our lives.

Sat.’s Devo - The Last Kings of Judah

Happy Birthday America! May you enjoy freedom! Read: 2 Kings 23:31-25:30; Acts 22:17-23:10; Psalm 2:1-12; Proverbs 18:13 When Josiah died, his son Jehoahaz who was 23 years old began to reign over Judah. He was not good like his father Josiah. He did evil like the evil kings before him so Pharaoh Neco from Egypt came and put him in bonds and made Eliakim, Josiah’s brother the king. Neco changed his name to Jehoiakim. He was made to tax the people to give Egypt 100 talents of silver and a talent of gold every year. *** Two years later, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and made Jehoiakim serve him for three years. Jehoiakim rebelled against him so the Lord sent bands of Chaldeans, Syrians, Moabites, and Ammonites against Judah to destroy it just like God’s prophets said would happen. *** Jehoiakim was an evil king and filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, which means that he sacrificed many babies to his gods. When Jehhoiakim died, his son Jeoiachin became the king. At that time, Babylon had raided Egypt and taken everything. *** Young Jehoiachin only reigned 3 months before he surrendered to the king of Babylon who came and besieged Jerusalem. The king of Babylon took the king, his officers and servants to Babylon and carried off the treasures of the house of the Lord and all the kings’ treasures. He dismantled the temple to take all its worth. He also carried away all the mighty men of valor, 10,000 captives and all the craftsmen in the land to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar made Josiah’s brother Mattaniah king and changed his name to Zedekiah. *** Zedekiah rebelled against Babylon so Nebuchadnezzar sent his army to besiege Jerusalem. In the second year of the siege, they broke through the wall and the king and his officers tried to escape at night through the wall. They were caught and brought to Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah. There he slaughtered all of Zedikiah’s sons then had Zedikah’s eyes gouged out so the last thing he saw was his sons being killed. Then Zedikiah was taken blinded and in chains to Babylon. *** Nebuchadnezzar’s captain Nebuaradan came to Jerusalem and burned down the house of the Lord, the king’s house, and all the houses in Jerusalem. They broke down the walls around Jerusalem and took the rest of the people left in the city to Babylon. They left some of the poorest of the land to keep the vineyards and the fields. *** They carried away everything from the house of the Lord that had value. They brought the priests and the important people to Riblah where Nebuchadnezzar had them also killed. *** Nebuchadnezzar appointed Gedaliah to govern the people left in Jerusalem. Gedaliah met with all the captains left in the land of Judah at Mizpah. Gedaliah told them not to be afraid of the Chaldeans because if they would just serve the king of Babylon, things would go well for them. But, Ishmael of the royal family brought 10 men with him and struck down Gedaliah and all the people fled to Egypt because they were afraid of what Nebuchadnezzar would do to them. *** When king Jehoiachin had been in prison in Babylon for 37 years, Evil-Merodach became king of Babylon. He pardoned Jehoiachin and gave him a seat in his government. He was given royal clothes, a seat at the king’s table and a salary. *** In Acts, Paul was telling the people of Jerusalem his story. He was at the point where he went back to Jerusalem and was praying in the Temple when he went into a trance. The Lord told him to get out of Jerusalem at once because they would not believe his testimony because he had persecuted so many Christians. God sent him far away to witness to the Gentiles. *** They had been listening intently until he got to the part about going to preach to the Gentiles. Then they shouted that he should die. The tribune ordered him to be put in the prison and flogged to find out the truth. But when they were preparing to flog him, he reminded them that he was a Roman citizen by birth. Then they were afraid that they had bound him and took the straps off him. *** They sat Paul down to talk and he told them he had lived his life in good conscience. The high priest struck him on the mouth and Paul called him a whitewashed wall. When they told him he was the high priest, Paul said hd didn’t know or he wouldn’t have said what he said. *** Paul realized that he was speaking in front of a council full of Sadducees and Pharisees so he used that to his advantage. He said that he was on trial because he believed in the resurrection of the dead. This threw them into a tizzy because that was the great debate between the Sadducees and the Pharisees. The Pharisees proclaimed Paul innocent because they believed in the resurrection of the dead, and the Sadducees disagreed. They had to rescue Paul from them and had him put in prison. *** Paul met misunderstanding and persecution everywhere he went because he was living in the days of great transition from law to grace. We are in the same place of transition from grace to kingdom. There will be many who will be misunderstood and persecuted for preaching the kingdom age but it is coming no matter how many people push against it. *** Lord, I thank you that your will will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Nothing can stop what is coming.

Fri.’s Devo - Josiah’s Reform

Read: 2 Kings 22:3-23:30; Acts 21:37-22:16; Psalm 1:1-6; Proverbs 18:11 When Josiah had reigned for 18 years he sent his secretary Azaliah to meet with the high priest, Hilkiah to count the money to repair the house of the Lord. In the process of repairing the house of the Lord, Hilkiah found a copy of the Law and brought it to Josiah. When Josiah read it he tore his clothes because he read how the Lord felt about them worshiping any other god but him. He sent for the priest and his officers to inquire of the Lord to find out what they should do. They went to the prophetess Huldah and asked her what the Lord was saying. *** Huldah prophesied that God would bring disaster upon Judah and its people because they had forsaken him and worshiped other gods. But, because Josiah’s heart was repentant it would not happen during Josiah’s lifetime. *** Josiah called a meeting of all the people of Jerusalem, the elders, officers, and prophets. Josiah read the law to them and made a covenant before the Lord that he would keep his testimonies and follow his law with all his heart, mind and soul. All the people joined him in the covenant. *** Then they began a huge excavation of all the worship of false gods. They carried all their paraphernalia down to the Kidron brook and burned it and took the ashes and cast them on the graves of the common people. They brought the false priests out of the cities of Judah and defiled their high places. Josiah stopped the sacrificing of babies and the worship of the sun and moon. All false religions were banned. The land was cleansed of idolatry. Even the altar at Bethel where the golden calf was situated that Jeroboam had erected was taken down and burned. There, Josiah saw the tombs of the altars that were there and had the bones taken from them and burned. But he let the tomb of the prophet who had prophesied this would happen remain untouched. He sacrificed all the priests who offered profaned sacrifices to false gods on their altars and then returned to Jerusalem. *** Josiah did away with the mediums and necromancers and the household gods. No king had gone to this amount of care to remove the false worship of gods and declare the worship of the true God. But, God did not forget what Judah had done under the rule of Manasseh and promised to eventually judge them. *** Josiah was murdered by the king of Egypt at Megiddo and was brought back to Jerusalem and buried in his own tomb. His son, Jehoahaz was anointed king. *** In Acts, Paul and been arrested and was to stand before the tribunal. They thought he might be the Egyptian who had led a revolt, but Paul assured them he was a Jew from Tarsus. He asked for permission to speak to the people and was allowed to. He addressed them in Hebrew which got their attention. He told them who he was a where he was from and that he had learned the law from Gamaliel who was a well-respected Rabbi. He assured them he knew the law and followed it. He had persecuted those who were believers in Jesus and had them imprisoned and but to death. On his way to Damascus to continue ridding the land of these Christians, he was overcome by a great light and heard a voice asking him why he was persecuting him. When he asked who he was, he was told he was Jesus of Nazareth. He was told to go to Damascus where he would be told what to do. The light left him blinded so he was led to Damascus. *** There, a devout man named Ananias came and prayed that Paul would see and his eyes were opened. He told him that he would be a witness for Jesus everywhere he went. He rose and was baptized. *** Lord, give us boldness like Paul to proclaim the mighty things you have done for us. Thank you for our testimony of your goodness and faithfulness. We give you praise and honor.

Thurs.’s Devo - Hezekiah’s End

Read: 2 Kings 20:1-22:2; Acts 21:17-36; Psalm 150:1-6; Proverbs 18:9-10 Hezekiah became deathly sick and Isaiah came and told him to put his house in order because he was going to die. Hezekiah cried out to the Lord and reminded him of how he faithfully served him. Isaiah was sent back to tell Hezekiah that the Lord was giving him 15 years more to live. He also told him how to cure his illness. *** Hezekiah asked for a sign that he would be healed and Isaiah gave him the choice of letting the sun go forward or back ten steps on the sundial. He choose for them to go back, so time went back ten steps. *** Merodach-baladan the king of Babylon sent Hezekiah gifts and letters wishing him well. When his ambassadors came to present them to Hezekiah, he showed them all the riches in his kingdom. When they had gone, Isaiah came and told Hezekiah that Babylon would one day come and take all the treasures that he had shown them away to Babylon. Some of his sons would be taken away to become eunuchs in Babylon. Hezekiah was happy that it wouldn’t happen in his life time. You would think that Hezekiah would spend his remaining years preparing his son to follow after the Lord and delay the judgment of the nation, but Hezekiah became proud during these days and produced a son who would be the most evil of all kings before him. *** Hezekiah lived his 15 years and died. His son who was only 13 became king. His name was Manasseh. He reigned 55 years. He rebuilt all the temples to the foreign gods and shed much innocent blood. He led Judah astray to do more evil than all the nations before them had done. *** God’s prophets warned the people of the disaster that was coming because they had abandoned him for idols. Jerusalem’s fall would be worse than Samaria’s. Manasseh died and his son Amon became the king. *** Amon was 21 when he became king and only reigned 2 years. He was evil like his father and worshiped idols. His servants assassinated him in his own home. The people made Manasseh’s son Josiah the king. Josiah was only 8 years old and did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in the ways of David. *** In Acts, Paul, Luke and others met with James and the believers there in Jerusalem. Paul told them how the Lord was welcoming Gentiles into his family and they rejoiced. They warned Paul that men had spread rumors that he taught against Moses’ law and told Jews not to be circumcised. To show that Paul followed the Law, they told him to join with 4 men who were making a Nazarite vow to the Lord. They were hoping that when they see Paul following the Law they will understand that he still honors the Law. *** Paul did do this. But, when these Jews saw Paul in the Temple they tried to seize him because they thought he had brought his Gentile friend into the Temple. They dragged Paul out of the Temple and planned to kill him but the tribunal heard about it and sent soldiers to stop the crowd from killing Paul. They arrested Paul and asked him what he had done The crowd was shouting out their accusations but it was so chaotic the solders couldn’t get to the truth. They had Paul brought to the barracks so they could find out what was going on. *** Lord, may we learn from our past and not repeat the same mistakes. May our walk be blameless and pleasing in your sight. Forgive the leaders who have gone before us and grant us righteous leaders to lead our nation back to You.

Wed.’s Devo - God’s Great Deliverance

Read: 2 Kings 18:13-19:37; Acts 21:1-16; Psalm 149:1-9; Proverbs 18:8 In Hezekiah’s 14th year of reigning over Judah, Sennacherib of Assyria came to take the fortified cities of Judah. Hezekiah repented that he had stopped paying them tribute and asked what it would take to make them leave them in peace. Hezekiah gave Senacherib all the silver and gold he could find in his kingdom and took the gold from the doors of the temple of the Lord and gave it to him. Sennacherib still sent his powerful army led by Rabshakeh against Jerusalem. *** Hezekiah sent his officers to speak to Rabshekeh. Rabshekeh rebuffed Hezekiah for thinking he could buy his way out of this, or hire Egypt to help him, or think the Lord would help them. He boasted that the Lord was the one who sent him to destroy them. *** Hezekiah’s officers asked him to speak to them in Aramaic so their soldiers couldn’t understand. He refused and addressed them instead. He told them that if they listened to Hezekiah they would be doomed to eat their own dung and drink their own urine, but if they surrendered to him, they would be taken to his land where they would have their own land and eat bread and drink wine. He told them not to listen to Hezekiah because the gods of other nations had not been able to save them. What makes them think that the Lord will not be able to deliver them out of their hands. *** Judah’s men remained quiet because they had been instructed not to answer. When Hezekiah heard what Rabshekeh said, he tore his clothes and wore sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord to pray. He sent his men to ask Isaiah what they should do. Isaiah told them not to be afraid of the words of Rabshekeh because he reviled the Lord with his words. God would put a spirit in him so he would hear a rumor and return to his ow land. He would die of the sword in his own land. *** Rabshekeh sent another letter to Hezekiah threatening him again and reminding him of all the nations he had defeated. Hezekiah took the letter and spread it out in the temple of the Lord. He prayed that God would save them so that all the kingdoms of the earth would know that he is the only God. *** Isaiah sent word to Hezekiah saying that the Lord heard his prayer and repeated a prophesy about Sennacherib. It was true that he would turn fortified cities into heaps of ruins and destroy nations, but he had defied the Holy One of Israel, and God would retaliate. God would put a hook in his nose and a bit in his mouth and he would return the way he came. *** For Judah, Isaiah prophesied, she would eat from what grows this year and the next year. In the third year, they will sow and reap and plant vineyards and eat from their fruit. A remnant would survive. *** God also said the king of Assyria would not return to harm the city because the Lord would defend it for his name sake and for the sake of David. *** That night the angel of death went and killed 185,000 Assyrians in their camp. Senecherib went back home to Nineveh and was assassinated by his own son in the temple of his god. Esarhaddon, another son ruled in his place. *** In Acts, Paul and Luke and their friends left Ephesus and traveled to Jerusalem. All the way people were prophesying over Paul and warning him not to go to Jerusalem because he would be persecuted and end up in prison. Paul had to trust the spirit of God inside him and kept going toward Jerusalem. He was not afraid of chains or imprisonment; he was more afraid of missing God’s plan for his life. *** When they finally arrived in Jerusalem, they stayed with Mnason who had been an early disciple of theirs. *** Lord, may we be like Paul who was not afraid of death or persecution. May we fear you above our comfort.