Tues.’s Devo - Israel’s Fate -

Read: 2 Kings 17:1-18:12; Acts 20:1-38; Psalm 148:1-14; Proverbs 18:6-7 While Ahaz was ruling Judah, Hoshea became king of Israel. Hosea was an evil king. The king of Assyria came against him and ordered him to pay tribute to him. When Hosea refused, the king of Assyria took Hosea prisoner and invaded the land of Israel and besieged Samaria for three years before he captured it. He carried all the Israelites to his land and scattered them throughout the cities in Assyria. He brought his people to take their place. *** All of this happened because the people of Israel did what he told them not to do when he brought them from Egypt and gave them the land. They did not remain faithful to the Lord but took up the gods of the land. They worshiped Baal and Asherah and other gods. *** Judah also abandoned the Lord and followed Israel in the worship of false gods. When the kingdom divided and Israel made Jeroboam their king, he led them into great sin making golden calves for them to worship so they wouldn’t go to Jerusalem and worship the Lord. So they were exiled to the land of Assyria and remained there. *** The king of Assyria replaced them with people from Babylon and other cities. They lived in the cities the Israelites had built and did not fear the Lord. So, the Lord sent lions among them that killed some of them. The king of Assyria was told that the lions were there because the people didn’t know the law of the god of the land. So the king sent one of the priests that he carried away to go and teach them the law of the god of the land. So a priest came to Bethel and taught them how they should fear the Lord. *** But the people of Samaria still worshiped in all the shrines and high places the Israelites had built. The Babylonians brought their own gods with them and burned their children to these gods and did all manner of evil. They feared the Lord and they worshiped the false gods. *** Hezekiah became the king of Judah and reigned in Jerusalem for 29 years. He was righteous and feared the Lord all the days of his life. He removed all the places the people worshiped false gods and broke the serpent that Moses had made in the wilderness. He followed the Lord so closely that he prospered in everything he did. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him. He struck down the Philistines and God was with him in all he did. *** Samaria was taken in Hezekiah’s sixth year of ruling over Judah. *** In Acts, there had been a great riot because the silversmiths accused Paul and his people of speaking against the goddess Artemis. The silversmiths had incited the riot against them because they were converting their customers to Christ thus, hurting their business. *** When everyone left the scene, Paul left for Macedonia to encourage the churches there. He stayed in Greece for three months until he heard there was a plot against him by the Jews. Then he went to Syria and returned through Macedonia. *** Paul spent Passover in Troas and preached until midnight. They were in an upper room and a young man name Eutychus was sitting by a window. He went to sleep and fell from the third story and died. Paul went down and held him and he came back to life. They went back upstairs and Paul spoke and broke bread until the sun came up. Then he left in the ship for Jerusalem, hoping to be there on the day of Pentecost. *** When he came to Ephesus he spoke to them about what he knew would happen to him once he got to Jerusalem. He had gotten prophetic words that he would be met with imprisonment and afflictions in Jerusalem. He knew it was probably the last time he would see these people. He wanted them to know he was not afraid of the future for himself, but he was concerned for them. He warned them of wolves that would come and try to twist the truth and get them off track. He encouraged them to stay strong and walk in the grace of the Lord. He reminded them that he didn’t covet their silver or gold but there would be those who would come after him that would. He also encouraged them to help the weak and to be generous to the poor because it is more blessed to give than to receive. *** Paul prayed for them and embraced them with tears knowing he would not see them again. *** Lord, may we face our tomorrows like Paul faced his. May we walk steadfastly into the future with courage and confidence that you hold our lives in your hands. We praise you Lord! All the earth is yours!