Wednesday, August 4, 2010

August Four

~Good Morning~

Bizzy week.


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Today's Scripture:

2 Chronicles 36

Jehoahaz Rules in Judah

1 Then the people of the land took Josiah's son Jehoahaz and made him the next king in Jerusalem.

2 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months.

3 Then he was deposed by the king of Egypt, who demanded that Judah pay 7,500 pounds of silver and 75 pounds of gold as tribute.

Jehoiakim Rules in Judah

4 The king of Egypt then installed Eliakim, the brother of Jehoahaz, as the next king of Judah and Jerusalem, and he changed Eliakim's name to Jehoiakim. Then Neco took Jehoahaz to Egypt as a prisoner.

2 Kings 23:31-37

Jehoahaz Rules in Judah

31 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah from Libnah. 32 He did what was evil in the Lord's sight, just as his ancestors had done.

33 Pharaoh Neco put Jehoahaz in prison at Riblah in the land of Hamath to prevent him from rulingin Jerusalem. He also demanded that Judah pay 7,500 pounds of silver and 75 pounds of gold as tribute.

Jehoiakim Rules in Judah

34 Pharaoh Neco then installed Eliakim, another of Josiah's sons, to reign in place of his father, and he changed Eliakim's name to Jehoiakim. Jehoahaz was taken to Egypt as a prisoner, where he died.

35 In order to get the silver and gold demanded as tribute by Pharaoh Neco, Jehoiakim collected a tax from the people of Judah, requiring them to pay in proportion to their wealth.

36 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother was Zebidah, the daughter of Pedaiah from Rumah. 37 He did what was evil in the Lord's sight, just as his ancestors had done.

2 Chronicles 36:5

5 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God.

Jeremiah 22:1-23

Jeremiah 22

A Message for Judah's Kings

1 This is what the Lord said to me: "Go over and speak directly to the king of Judah. Say to him, 2'Listen to this message from the Lord, you king of Judah, sitting on David's throne. Let your attendants and your people listen, too. 3 This is what the Lord says: Be fair-minded and just. Do what is right! Help those who have been robbed; rescue them from their oppressors. Quit your evil deeds! Do not mistreat foreigners, orphans, and widows. Stop murdering the innocent! 4 If you obey me, there will always be a descendant of David sitting on the throne here in Jerusalem. The king will ride through the palace gates in chariots and on horses, with his parade of attendants and subjects. 5 But if you refuse to pay attention to this warning, I swear by my own name, says the Lord, that this palace will become a pile of rubble.'"

A Message about the Palace

6 Now this is what the Lord says concerning Judah's royal palace:

"I love you as much as fruitful Gilead
      and the green forests of Lebanon.
   But I will turn you into a desert,
      with no one living within your walls.
 7 I will call for wreckers,
      who will bring out their tools to dismantle you.
   They will tear out all your fine cedar beams
      and throw them on the fire.

8 "People from many nations will pass by the ruins of this city and say to one another, 'Why did the Lord destroy such a great city?' 9 And the answer will be, 'Because they violated their covenant with the Lord their God by worshiping other gods.'"

A Message about Jehoahaz

10 Do not weep for the dead king or mourn his loss.
      Instead, weep for the captive king being led away!
      For he will never return to see his native land again.

11 For this is what the Lord says about Jehoahaz, who succeeded his father, King Josiah, and was taken away as a captive: "He will never return. 12 He will die in a distant land and will never again see his own country."

A Message about Jehoiakim

13 And the Lord says, "What sorrow awaits Jehoiakim,
      who builds his palace with forced labor.
   He builds injustice into its walls,
      for he makes his neighbors work for nothing.
      He does not pay them for their labor.
 14 He says, 'I will build a magnificent palace
      with huge rooms and many windows.
   I will panel it throughout with fragrant cedar
      and paint it a lovely red.'
 15 But a beautiful cedar palace does not make a great king!
      Your father, Josiah, also had plenty to eat and drink.
   But he was just and right in all his dealings.
      That is why God blessed him.
 16 He gave justice and help to the poor and needy,
      and everything went well for him.
   Isn't that what it means to know me?"
      says the Lord.
 17 "But you! You have eyes only for greed and dishonesty!
      You murder the innocent,
      oppress the poor, and reign ruthlessly."

18 Therefore, this is what the Lord says about Jehoiakim, son of King Josiah:

"The people will not mourn for him, crying to one another,
      'Alas, my brother! Alas, my sister!'
   His subjects will not mourn for him, crying,
      'Alas, our master is dead! Alas, his splendor is gone!'
 19 He will be buried like a dead donkey—
      dragged out of Jerusalem and dumped outside the gates!
 20 Weep for your allies in Lebanon.
      Shout for them in Bashan.
   Search for them in the regions east of the river.
      See, they are all destroyed.
      Not one is left to help you.
 21 I warned you when you were prosperous,
      but you replied, 'Don't bother me.'
   You have been that way since childhood—
      you simply will not obey me!
 22 And now the wind will blow away your allies.
      All your friends will be taken away as captives.
      Surely then you will see your wickedness and be ashamed.
 23 It may be nice to live in a beautiful palace
      paneled with wood from the cedars of Lebanon,
   but soon you will groan with pangs of anguish—
      anguish like that of a woman in labor.

Jeremiah 26:1-24

Jeremiah 26

Jeremiah's Escape from Death

1 This message came to Jeremiah from the Lord early in the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah. 2 "This is what the Lord says: Stand in the courtyard in front of the Temple of the Lord, and make an announcement to the people who have come there to worship from all over Judah. Give them my entire message; include every word. 3 Perhaps they will listen and turn from their evil ways. Then I will change my mind about the disaster I am ready to pour out on them because of their sins.

4 "Say to them, 'This is what the Lord says: If you will not listen to me and obey my word I have given you, 5 and if you will not listen to my servants, the prophets—for I sent them again and again to warn you, but you would not listen to them—6 then I will destroy this Temple as I destroyed Shiloh, the place where the Tabernacle was located. And I will make Jerusalem an object of cursing in every nation on earth.'"

7 The priests, the prophets, and all the people listened to Jeremiah as he spoke in front of the Lord's Temple. 8 But when Jeremiah had finished his message, saying everything the Lord had told him to say, the priests and prophets and all the people at the Temple mobbed him. "Kill him!" they shouted. 9 "What right do you have to prophesy in the Lord's name that this Temple will be destroyed like Shiloh? What do you mean, saying that Jerusalem will be destroyed and left with no inhabitants?" And all the people threatened him as he stood in front of the Temple.

10 When the officials of Judah heard what was happening, they rushed over from the palace and sat down at the New Gate of the Temple to hold court. 11 The priests and prophets presented their accusations to the officials and the people. "This man should die!" they said. "You have heard with your own ears what a traitor he is, for he has prophesied against this city."

12 Then Jeremiah spoke to the officials and the people in his own defense. "The Lord sent me to prophesy against this Temple and this city," he said. "The Lord gave me every word that I have spoken. 13 But if you stop your sinning and begin to obey the Lord your God, he will change his mind about this disaster that he has announced against you. 14 As for me, I am in your hands—do with me as you think best. 15 But if you kill me, rest assured that you will be killing an innocent man! The responsibility for such a deed will lie on you, on this city, and on every person living in it. For it is absolutely true that the Lord sent me to speak every word you have heard."

16 Then the officials and the people said to the priests and prophets, "This man does not deserve the death sentence, for he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God."

17 Then some of the wise old men stood and spoke to all the people assembled there. 18 They said, "Remember when Micah of Moresheth prophesied during the reign of King Hezekiah of Judah. He told the people of Judah,

'This is what the Lord of Heaven's Armies says:
   Mount Zion will be plowed like an open field;
      Jerusalem will be reduced to ruins!
   A thicket will grow on the heights
      where the Temple now stands.'

19 But did King Hezekiah and the people kill him for saying this? No, they turned from their sins and worshiped the Lord. They begged him for mercy. Then the Lord changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had pronounced against them. So we are about to do ourselves great harm."

20 At this time Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim was also prophesying for the Lord. And he predicted the same terrible disaster against the city and nation as Jeremiah did. 21 When King Jehoiakim and the army officers and officials heard what he was saying, the king sent someone to kill him. But Uriah heard about the plan and escaped in fear to Egypt. 22 Then King Jehoiakim sent Elnathan son of Acbor to Egypt along with several other men to capture Uriah. 23 They took him prisoner and brought him back to King Jehoiakim. The king then killed Uriah with a sword and had him buried in an unmarked grave.

24 Nevertheless, Ahikam son of Shaphan stood up for Jeremiah and persuaded the court not to turn him over to the mob to be killed.

2 Kings 24:1-4

2 Kings 24

1 During Jehoiakim's reign, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon invaded the land of Judah. Jehoiakim surrendered and paid him tribute for three years but then rebelled. 2 Then the Lord sent bands of Babylonian, Aramean, Moabite, and Ammonite raiders against Judah to destroy it, just as the Lordhad promised through his prophets. 3 These disasters happened to Judah because of the Lord's command. He had decided to banish Judah from his presence because of the many sins of Manasseh, 4 who had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood. The Lord would not forgive this.

Jeremiah 25:1-14

Jeremiah 25

Seventy Years of Captivity

1 This message for all the people of Judah came to Jeremiah from the Lord during the fourth year of Jehoiakim's reign over Judah. This was the year when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon began his reign.

2 Jeremiah the prophet said to all the people in Judah and Jerusalem, 3 "For the past twenty-three years—from the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah, until now—the Lord has been giving me his messages. I have faithfully passed them on to you, but you have not listened.

4 "Again and again the Lord has sent you his servants, the prophets, but you have not listened or even paid attention. 5 Each time the message was this: 'Turn from the evil road you are traveling and from the evil things you are doing. Only then will I let you live in this land that the Lord gave to you and your ancestors forever. 6 Do not provoke my anger by worshiping idols you made with your own hands. Then I will not harm you.'

7 "But you would not listen to me," says the Lord. "You made me furious by worshiping idols you made with your own hands, bringing on yourselves all the disasters you now suffer. 8 And now the Lord of Heaven's Armies says: Because you have not listened to me, 9 I will gather together all the armies of the north under King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, whom I have appointed as my deputy. I will bring them all against this land and its people and against the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy you and make you an object of horror and contempt and a ruin forever. 10 I will take away your happy singing and laughter. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will no longer be heard. Your millstones will fall silent, and the lights in your homes will go out. 11 This entire land will become a desolate wasteland. Israel and her neighboring lands will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years.

12 "Then, after the seventy years of captivity are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and his people for their sins," says the Lord. "I will make the country of the Babylonians a wasteland forever. 13 I will bring upon them all the terrors I have promised in this book—all the penalties announced by Jeremiah against the nations. 14 Many nations and great kings will enslave the Babylonians, just as they enslaved my people. I will punish them in proportion to the suffering they cause my people."


 


 


 

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