Tuesday, July 20, 2010

July Twenty


~Good Morning~
It is really July 30 and I am playing catch up. I had my quiet times, I just did not blog them. Some of the bullets may not have questions or comments to go with the scripture highlighted. This is because. I have no idea why I highlighted it. Very bad, I know!

  • I thought Egypt was a strong nation?
21 On Egypt? If you lean on Egypt, it will be like a reed that splinters beneath your weight and pierces your hand. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, is completely unreliable!

  • The Lord would talk to the Assyrians too? Did He communicate with other nations like he does with Israel?
25 What's more, do you think we have invaded your land without the Lord's direction? The Lord himself told us, 'Attack this land and destroy it!'"

 

 
Today's Scripture:
Micah 6-7:20
Micah 6
The Lord's Case against Israel
1 Listen to what the Lord is saying:
"Stand up and state your case against me.
      Let the mountains and hills be called to witness your complaints.
 2 And now, O mountains,
      listen to the Lord's complaint!
   He has a case against his people.
      He will bring charges against Israel.
3 "O my people, what have I done to you?
      What have I done to make you tired of me?
      Answer me!
 4 For I brought you out of Egypt
      and redeemed you from slavery.
      I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to help you.
 5 Don't you remember, my people,
      how King Balak of Moab tried to have you cursed
      and how Balaam son of Beor blessed you instead?
   And remember your journey from Acacia Grove to Gilgal,
      when I, the Lord, did everything I could
      to teach you about my faithfulness."
6 What can we bring to the Lord?
      What kind of offerings should we give him?
   Should we bow before God
      with offerings of yearling calves?
 7 Should we offer him thousands of rams
      and ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
   Should we sacrifice our firstborn children
      to pay for our sins?
8 No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,
      and this is what he requires of you:
   to do what is right, to love mercy,
      and to walk humbly with your God.
Israel's Guilt and Punishment
9 Fear the Lord if you are wise!
      His voice calls to everyone in Jerusalem:
   "The armies of destruction are coming;
      the Lord is sending them.
 10 What shall I say about the homes of the wicked
      filled with treasures gained by cheating?
   What about the disgusting practice
      of measuring out grain with dishonest measures?
 11 How can I tolerate your merchants
      who use dishonest scales and weights?
 12 The rich among you have become wealthy
      through extortion and violence.
   Your citizens are so used to lying
      that their tongues can no longer tell the truth.
13 "Therefore, I will wound you!
      I will bring you to ruin for all your sins.
 14 You will eat but never have enough.
      Your hunger pangs and emptiness will remain.
   And though you try to save your money,
      it will come to nothing in the end.
   You will save a little,
      but I will give it to those who conquer you.
 15 You will plant crops
      but not harvest them.
   You will press your olives
      but not get enough oil to anoint yourselves.
   You will trample the grapes
      but get no juice to make your wine.
 16 You keep only the laws of evil King Omri;
      you follow only the example of wicked King Ahab!
   Therefore, I will make an example of you,
      bringing you to complete ruin.
   You will be treated with contempt,
      mocked by all who see you."
Micah 7
Misery Turned to Hope
1 How miserable I am!
   I feel like the fruit picker after the harvest
      who can find nothing to eat.
   Not a cluster of grapes or a single early fig
      can be found to satisfy my hunger.
 2 The godly people have all disappeared;
      not one honest person is left on the earth.
   They are all murderers,
      setting traps even for their own brothers.
 3 Both their hands are equally skilled at doing evil!
      Officials and judges alike demand bribes.
   The people with influence get what they want,
      and together they scheme to twist justice.
 4 Even the best of them is like a brier;
      the most honest is as dangerous as a hedge of thorns.
   But your judgment day is coming swiftly now.
      Your time of punishment is here, a time of confusion.
 5 Don't trust anyone—
      not your best friend or even your wife!
 6 For the son despises his father.
      The daughter defies her mother.
   The daughter-in-law defies her mother-in-law.
      Your enemies are right in your own household!
7 As for me, I look to the Lord for help.
      I wait confidently for God to save me,
      and my God will certainly hear me.
 8 Do not gloat over me, my enemies!
      For though I fall, I will rise again.
   Though I sit in darkness,
      the Lord will be my light.
 9 I will be patient as the Lord punishes me,
      for I have sinned against him.
   But after that, he will take up my case
      and give me justice for all I have suffered from my enemies.
   The Lord will bring me into the light,
      and I will see his righteousness.
 10 Then my enemies will see that the Lord is on my side.
      They will be ashamed that they taunted me, saying,
   "So where is the Lord—
      that God of yours?"
   With my own eyes I will see their downfall;
      they will be trampled like mud in the streets.
11 In that day, Israel, your cities will be rebuilt,
      and your borders will be extended.
 12 People from many lands will come and honor you—
      from Assyria all the way to the towns of Egypt,
   from Egypt all the way to the Euphrates River,
      and from distant seas and mountains.
 13 But the land will become empty and desolate
      because of the wickedness of those who live there.
The Lord's Compassion on Israel
14 O Lord, protect your people with your shepherd's staff;
      lead your flock, your special possession.
   Though they live alone in a thicket
      on the heights of Mount Carmel,
   let them graze in the fertile pastures of Bashan and Gilead
      as they did long ago.
15 "Yes," says the Lord,
      "I will do mighty miracles for you,
   like those I did when I rescued you
      from slavery in Egypt."
16 All the nations of the world will stand amazed
      at what the Lord will do for you.
   They will be embarrassed
      at their feeble power.
   They will cover their mouths in silent awe,
      deaf to everything around them.
 17 Like snakes crawling from their holes,
      they will come out to meet the Lord our God.
   They will fear him greatly,
      trembling in terror at his presence.
18 Where is another God like you,
      who pardons the guilt of the remnant,
      overlooking the sins of his special people?
   You will not stay angry with your people forever,
      because you delight in showing unfailing love.
 19 Once again you will have compassion on us.
      You will trample our sins under your feet
      and throw them into the depths of the ocean!
 20 You will show us your faithfulness and unfailing love
      as you promised to our ancestors Abraham and Jacob long ago.
2 Chronicles 32:1-8
2 Chronicles 32
Assyria Invades Judah
1 After Hezekiah had faithfully carried out this work, King Sennacherib of Assyria invaded Judah. He laid siege to the fortified towns, giving orders for his army to break through their walls. 2 When Hezekiah realized that Sennacherib also intended to attack Jerusalem, 3he consulted with his officials and military advisers, and they decided to stop the flow of the springs outside the city. 4 They organized a huge work crew to stop the flow of the springs, cutting off the brook that ran through the fields. For they said, "Why should the kings of Assyria come here and find plenty of water?"
5 Then Hezekiah worked hard at repairing all the broken sections of the wall, erecting towers, and constructing a second wall outside the first. He also reinforced the supporting terraces in the City of David and manufactured large numbers of weapons and shields. 6 He appointed military officers over the people and assembled them before him in the square at the city gate. Then Hezekiah encouraged them by saying: 7 "Be strong and courageous! Don't be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria or his mighty army, for there is a power far greater on our side! 8 He may have a great army, but they are merely men. We have the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles for us!" Hezekiah's words greatly encouraged the people.
2 Kings 18:13-18
Assyria Invades Judah
13 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah's reign, King Sennacherib of Assyria came to attack the fortified towns of Judah and conquered them. 14 King Hezekiah sent this message to the king of Assyria at Lachish: "I have done wrong. I will pay whatever tribute money you demand if you will only withdraw." The king of Assyria then demanded a settlement of more than eleven tons of silver and one ton of gold. 15 To gather this amount, King Hezekiah used all the silver stored in the Temple of the Lord and in the palace treasury.16 Hezekiah even stripped the gold from the doors of the Lord's Temple and from the doorposts he had overlaid with gold, and he gave it all to the Assyrian king.
17 Nevertheless, the king of Assyria sent his commander in chief, his field commander, and his chief of staff from Lachish with a huge army to confront King Hezekiah in Jerusalem. The Assyrians took up a position beside the aqueduct that feeds water into the upper pool, near the road leading to the field where cloth is washed. 18 They summoned King Hezekiah, but the king sent these officials to meet with them: Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace administrator; Shebna the court secretary; and Joah son of Asaph, the royal historian.
Isaiah 36:1-3
Isaiah 36
Assyria Invades Judah
1 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah's reign, King Sennacherib of Assyria came to attack the fortified towns of Judah and conquered them. 2 Then the king of Assyria sent his chief of staff from Lachish with a huge army to confront King Hezekiah in Jerusalem. The Assyrians took up a position beside the aqueduct that feeds water into the upper pool, near the road leading to the field where cloth is washed.
3 These are the officials who went out to meet with them: Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace administrator; Shebna the court secretary; and Joah son of Asaph, the royal historian.
2 Kings 18:19-37
Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem
19 Then the Assyrian king's chief of staff told them to give this message to Hezekiah:
"This is what the great king of Assyria says: What are you trusting in that makes you so confident? 20 Do you think that mere words can substitute for military skill and strength? Who are you counting on, that you have rebelled against me? 21 On Egypt? If you lean on Egypt, it will be like a reed that splinters beneath your weight and pierces your hand. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, is completely unreliable!
 22 "But perhaps you will say to me, 'We are trusting in the Lord our God!' But isn't he the one who was insulted by Hezekiah? Didn't Hezekiah tear down his shrines and altars and make everyone in Judah and Jerusalem worship only at the altar here in Jerusalem?
 23 "I'll tell you what! Strike a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria. I will give you 2,000 horses if you can find that many men to ride on them! 24 With your tiny army, how can you think of challenging even the weakest contingent of my master's troops, even with the help of Egypt's chariots and charioteers25 What's more, do you think we have invaded your land without the Lord's direction? The Lord himself told us, 'Attack this land and destroy it!'"
26 Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, Shebna, and Joah said to the Assyrian chief of staff, "Please speak to us in Aramaic, for we understand it well. Don't speak in Hebrew, for the people on the wall will hear."
27 But Sennacherib's chief of staff replied, "Do you think my master sent this message only to you and your master? He wants all the people to hear it, for when we put this city under siege, they will suffer along with you. They will be so hungry and thirsty that they will eat their own dung and drink their own urine."
28 Then the chief of staff stood and shouted in Hebrew to the people on the wall, "Listen to this message from the great king of Assyria! 29 This is what the king says: Don't let Hezekiah deceive you. He will never be able to rescue you from my power. 30 Don't let him fool you into trusting in the Lord by saying, 'The Lord will surely rescue us. This city will never fall into the hands of the Assyrian king!'
31 "Don't listen to Hezekiah! These are the terms the king of Assyria is offering: Make peace with me—open the gates and come out. Then each of you can continue eating from your own grapevine and fig tree and drinking from your own well. 32 Then I will arrange to take you to another land like this one—a land of grain and new wine, bread and vineyards, olive groves and honey. Choose life instead of death!
"Don't listen to Hezekiah when he tries to mislead you by saying, 'The Lord will rescue us!' 33 Have the gods of any other nations ever saved their people from the king of Assyria? 34 What happened to the gods of Hamath and Arpad? And what about the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Did any god rescue Samaria from my power? 35 What god of any nation has ever been able to save its people from my power? So what makes you think that the Lord can rescue Jerusalem from me?"
36 But the people were silent and did not utter a word because Hezekiah had commanded them, "Do not answer him."
37 Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace administrator; Shebna the court secretary; and Joah son of Asaph, the royal historian, went back to Hezekiah. They tore their clothes in despair, and they went in to see the king and told him what the Assyrian chief of staff had said.
Isaiah 36:4-22
Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem
4 Then the Assyrian king's chief of staff told them to give this message to Hezekiah:
"This is what the great king of Assyria says: What are you trusting in that makes you so confident? 5 Do you think that mere words can substitute for military skill and strength? Who are you counting on, that you have rebelled against me? 6 On Egypt? If you lean on Egypt, it will be like a reed that splinters beneath your weight and pierces your hand. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, is completely unreliable!
 7 "But perhaps you will say to me, 'We are trusting in the Lord our God!' But isn't he the one who was insulted by Hezekiah? Didn't Hezekiah tear down his shrines and altars and make everyone in Judah and Jerusalem worship only at the altar here in Jerusalem?
 8 "I'll tell you what! Strike a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria. I will give you 2,000 horses if you can find that many men to ride on them! 9 With your tiny army, how can you think of challenging even the weakest contingent of my master's troops, even with the help of Egypt's chariots and charioteers? 10 What's more, do you think we have invaded your land without the Lord's direction? The Lordhimself told us, 'Attack this land and destroy it!'"
11 Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the Assyrian chief of staff, "Please speak to us in Aramaic, for we understand it well. Don't speak in Hebrew, for the people on the wall will hear."
12 But Sennacherib's chief of staff replied, "Do you think my master sent this message only to you and your master? He wants all the people to hear it, for when we put this city under siege, they will suffer along with you. They will be so hungry and thirsty that they will eat their own dung and drink their own urine."
13 Then the chief of staff stood and shouted in Hebrew to the people on the wall, "Listen to this message from the great king of Assyria! 14 This is what the king says: Don't let Hezekiah deceive you. He will never be able to rescue you. 15 Don't let him fool you into trusting in the Lord by saying, 'The Lord will surely rescue us. This city will never fall into the hands of the Assyrian king!'
16 "Don't listen to Hezekiah! These are the terms the king of Assyria is offering: Make peace with me—open the gates and come out. Then each of you can continue eating from your own grapevine and fig tree and drinking from your own well. 17 Then I will arrange to take you to another land like this one—a land of grain and new wine, bread and vineyards.
18 "Don't let Hezekiah mislead you by saying, 'The Lord will rescue us!' Have the gods of any other nations ever saved their people from the king of Assyria? 19 What happened to the gods of Hamath and Arpad? And what about the gods of Sepharvaim? Did any god rescue Samaria from my power? 20 What god of any nation has ever been able to save its people from my power? So what makes you think that the Lord can rescue Jerusalem from me?"
21 But the people were silent and did not utter a word because Hezekiah had commanded them, "Do not answer him."
22 Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace administrator; Shebna the court secretary; and Joah son of Asaph, the royal historian, went back to Hezekiah. They tore their clothes in despair, and they went in to see the king and told him what the Assyrian chief of staff had said.

 

 


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