God fight the Battle for David

 

1 Chronicle 14:13-17

 

March 11, 2023

 

God fight the Battle for David

And the Philistines yet again made a raid in the valley.  And when David again inquired of God, God said to him, “You shall not go up after them; go around and come against them opposite the balsam trees.  And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then go out to battle, for God has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines.”  And David did as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army from Gibeon to Gezer.  And the fame of David went out into all lands, and the Lord brought the fear of him upon all nations.

 

How often do you ask God, should I ________ and you can fill in the blank line?  I find myself falling short, very short in my asking.  It brings up these questions to a guy like me who made his living asking questions.  Do I understand that God is very fond of me, not because of my actions, but because I am His child?  Do I believe He has a plan for me, and that it is unique just for me, and no one else can take my place, as was His for David?

 

If the answer is yes to those questions, then I wrestle with the why, why would I ignore my Master counsel in that He is all-knowing and knows where all the potholes, dead ends, and dangers are, but you and I must ask Him to know the way we should go.  I have not answered the why, questions, could it be I foolishly believe I got it covered?

 

What would have happened if David had not asked?  We do not know the answer, but there is a good chance he would not be the only king who never lost a battle.  By asking God to make known to David the plan, that the Lord would be fighting for him.  One more thought came into my mind do I need God to fight for me?  And the answer is yes?  I do not want to go into battle without Him.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

 

Philistines Defeated

 

1 Chronicles 14:8-12

 

March 10, 2023

 

Philistines Defeated

When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. But David heard of it and went out against them.  Now the Philistines had come and made a raid in the Valley of Rephaim.  And David inquired of God, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up, and I will give them into your hand.”  And he went up to Baal-perazim, and David struck them down there. And David said, “God has broken through my enemies by my hand, like a bursting flood.” Therefore the name of that place is called Baal-perazim.  And they left their gods there, and David gave command, and they were burned.

When I was in school and a substitute teacher took the teacher's place we tried to take advantage of her, is that what the Philistines are doing with David?  Is that what is happening in that they feared Saul, but the new kid might just allow them to take some territory.  That might be the thoughts that came into their minds, but the real battle came from another source, found in Ephesians 6:10-12, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. “  The devil hates God, so it makes sense he has disdain for the chosen people of God, and he has the same for you as a follower of Christ.  So get dressed for battle, you are going to need the equipment;  “the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,  and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.  In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,  praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.”

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

David's Wives and Children

  

 

 

1 Chronicle 14:1-7

 

March 6, 2023

 

David's Wives and Children

And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, also masons and carpenters to build a house for him.  And David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and that his kingdom was highly exalted for the sake of his people Israel.

And David took more wives in Jerusalem, and David fathered more sons and daughters.  These are the names of the children born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet,  Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia,  Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.

 

Hiram king of Tyre had great admiration for David and you find the same account in 2 Samuel 5:11 as found in 1 Chronicles 14:1.  

“Got Question” had this information on Hiram who was also referred to as Huram, both mean “brother of the exalted.”  During Hiram’s reign, Tyre grew into a dominant and thriving commercial center and the most important port city in the Mediterranean. Hiram engaged in extensive building projects and colonized several Mediterranean islands such as Cyprus and Sicily. He also pursued commercial maritime endeavors.

In the writings of the first-century historian Josephus, we learn that Hiram ruled in Tyre for 34 years and died at age 53. Throughout his lifetime, King Hiram remained David’s friend and ally. His long affection for David passed down to King Solomon, with whom he continued friendly relations: “Now Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for Hiram always loved David”). (1 Kings 5:1, ESV)

 

One of David's biggest sins and failures was taking Uriah's wife and having Uriah killed in battle when all the troops were told to withdraw from him under David’s orders.  But God, yes after David was confronted by Nathan the prophet and he owned up to his sin and sought  God’s forgiveness, it cost the life of his son, but Israel got Solomon.

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

 

 

We must do it God's way

 

 

 

1 Chronicle 13:1-14

 

March 4, 2023

 

The Ark Brought from Kiriath-Jearim

David consulted with the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, with every leader.  And David said to all the assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you and from the Lord our God, let us send abroad to our brothers who remain in all the lands of Israel, as well as to the priests and Levites in the cities that have pasturelands, that they may be gathered to us.  Then let us bring again the ark of our God to us, for we did not seek it in the days of Saul.”  All the assembly agreed to do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

Uzzah and the Ark

So David assembled all Israel from the Nile of Egypt to Lebo-hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim.  And David and all Israel went up to Baalah, that is, to Kiriath-jearim that belongs to Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord who sits enthroned above the cherubim.  And they carried the ark of God on a new cart, from the house of Abinadab, and Uzzah and Ahio were driving the cart.  And David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all their might, with song and lyres and harps and tambourines and cymbals and trumpets.

And when they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzzah put out his hand to take hold of the ark, for the oxen stumbled.  And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he put out his hand to the ark, and he died there before God.  And David was angry because the Lord had broken out against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day.  And David was afraid of God that day, and he said, “How can I bring the ark of God home to me?”  So David did not take the ark home into the city of David but took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.  And the ark of God remained with the household of Obed-edom in his house three months. And the Lord blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that he had.

 

As you read this account first you see the heart of a great leader, wanting to make sure he did not make the mistakes of his predecessor.  Before taking any action David did what a great leader will do, get the buy-in from the leaders, and then the people he is over.

 

Now David made one mistake, he did not research the way God had told Moses to transport the Ark.  David did not ask the priest to look into how Moses was instructed to move the Ark of the Covenant, and it cost the life of one of his men.  Exodus 25:10-15. 

“They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height.  You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and outside shall you overlay it, and you shall make on it a molding of gold around it.  You shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its four feet, two rings on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it.  You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.  And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark by them.  The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it.  And you shall put into the ark the testimony that I shall give you.

Now to David and the leaders, it made perfect sense to use a nice new cart to move the ark.  It always seems best to use the new cart, why use those old poles, when we have this new technology, but God.  Yes, we come back to that Scripture many try to bypass, found in Isaiah 55:8-9, For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

 

I find myself guilty of trying my way, it seems right till I examine God's handbook on living life on planet Earth and go back to agree with Isaiah 55:8-9,  I have a strong feeling I’m not alone in that boat.  But my way comes often with a price higher than I would have paid, much like David found to be true.  

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

The Highways of My Life

 

 

The Highways of My Life

 

I enjoy the highways of life, especially the eight-lane ones. When I was
a small child, the highways led to new adventures with little risk. Mom
and Dad were there to make sure it was a small risk to me. When I became
a teenager, the highways seemed so bright. I knew that my happiness had
to be in flight.

As a young man, I acquired a wife, and together the highways seem so
right. Risk? What risk? The highways seemed to call. The faster you
drive, the less your conscience sees, the small pitfalls.

The world called me to the fast lane and promised many things. Things of
pleasure, hope, and peace, but it did require one little thing. I had to
get into a faster lane. One that required so much time, but it promised
power and wealth, and maybe even fame.

The highways of this world seemed to offer me real life, but the risks
were greater and almost cost my life. One day on my eight-lane highway
to hell, I met a nonreligious man. He told me about his Father...another
nonreligious spirit. He talked about the highways of my life as if he
had been with me all along. He knew all the curves, potholes, dead ends,
and construction.

His love and understanding of my life drew me from the highway to his
rest stop. At that rest stop, I learned He was the master
designer of all. At his rest stop, I was given a book He called the
manufacturer's handbook. It was all about Him and His Father and His
promises.

I needed to stop at that rest stop. Afterward, I was different, and
when I re-entered the highway, it was only one lane. The master designer
had told me it would be a narrow road, but he did not tell me everything.
I have discovered that his narrow lane runs down the middle of my old
eight-land highway. Yes, it goes against the traffic and all the high-risk travelers keep going faster and faster to nowhere.

You may wonder if I have ever gotten off the narrow lane and back
onto the eight-lane highway. The answer is yes, and I have had a few
wrecks. But the Son of God, Jesus Christ the master designer has
promised to pick me up and He is faithful to return me to the contraflow,
narrow lane.

This is what happened to me one day on the way to hell.

Bob Rice

The Mighty Men Join David

                                                               1 Chronicle 12:1-18

 

February 27, 2023

 

The Mighty Men Join David

Now, these are the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he could not move about freely because of Saul the son of Kish. And they were among the mighty men who helped him in war.  They were bowmen and could shoot arrows and sling stones with either the right or the left hand; they were Benjaminites, Saul's kinsmen.  The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, both sons of Shemaah of Gibeah; also Jeziel and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth; Beracah, Jehu of Anathoth,  Ishmaiah of Gibeon, a mighty man among the thirty and a leader over the thirty; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad of Gederah,  Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah the Haruphite;  Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites;  And Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.

From the Gadites there went over to David at the stronghold in the wilderness mighty and experienced warriors, expert with shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions and who were swift as gazelles upon the mountains:  Ezer the chief, Obadiah second, Eliab third,  Mishmannah fourth, Jeremiah fifth,  Attai sixth, Eliel seventh,  Johanan eighth, Elzabad ninth,  Jeremiah tenth, Machbannai eleventh.  These Gadites were officers of the army; the least was a match for a hundred men and the greatest for a thousand.  These are the men who crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it was overflowing all its banks and put to flight all those in the valleys, to the east and to the west.

And some of the men of Benjamin and Judah came to the stronghold to David.  David went out to meet them and said to them, “If you have come to me in friendship to help me, my heart will be joined to you; but if to betray me to my adversaries, although there is no wrong in my hands, then may the God of our fathers see and rebuke you.”  Then the Spirit clothed Amasai, chief of the thirty, and he said,

“We are yours, O David, and with you, O son of Jesse!  Peace, peace to you, and peace to your helpers!  For your, God helps you.” Then David received them and made them officers of his troops.

 

God sent these mighty men to David, because he had a plan for David’s life, and He also has a plan for your life.  It may not be mighty men God sent to you but it will be the right person are the thing to fulfill His plan for your life.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

 

-- 

David's Mighty Men

  

1 Chronicle 11:10-14

 

February 25, 2023

 

David's Mighty Men

Now, these are the chiefs of David's mighty men, who gave him strong support in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the Lord concerning Israel.  This is an account of David's mighty men: Jashobeam, a Hachmonite, was chief of the three. He wielded his spear against 300 whom he killed at one time.

And next to him among the three mighty men was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite.  He was with David at Pas-dammim when the Philistines were gathered there for battle. There was a plot of ground full of barley, and the men fled from the Philistines.  But he took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it and killed the Philistines. And the Lord saved them by a great victory.

 

My first thought was the honor to be listed in the Scriptures as a mighty man, who stood by David.  These men were not like men of their time, they were warriors, they were fearless, and they were gifted by God for a time such as this.  You may not recall Haman, who talked the king into killing all the Jewish people because of his hatred for Mordecai.  And how the queen was a Jew but that was not known at that time.  She also was the cousin of Mordecai who raised her.  Let’s pick up the account in  Esther 4:14.  As he said to Esther, “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?

 

It seems clear to me that God had these men ready for such a time as this.  They are listed by name in verses 26-47.  But before we do so it is important to know that they were given the ability to do such acts by God, and God alone.  Do you recall Caleb, as the Jewish people came out of Egypt, we find the account in Numbers 14:24, “But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.”

 

It is important for you and me as followers of Christ to become like Caleb, in that eighty-five years of age was a man of great strength, the account is found in Joshua 14:10-12, ^“ And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the Lord spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old.  I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming.  So now give me this hill country of which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the Lord said.”

 

Now the rest of the story, “Then Joshua blessed him, and he gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance.  Therefore, Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day because he wholly followed the Lord, the God of Israel.”

 

I believe the Lord asks each of us this question, what dreams do you have at this stage in life, are you willing to be a Caleb and wholly follow the Lord?  You and I have a promise from God who does not change, He keeps His promises.  Has He not promised in Psalm 37:3-6, Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness? Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.  He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.  It is a Choice!  How will you and I choose has everything to do with what God will do.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

David Anointed King

 

 

1 Chronicle 11:1-9

 February 21, 2023

 

David Anointed King

Then all Israel gathered together to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, we are your bone and flesh.  In times past, even when Saul was king, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the Lord your God said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over my people Israel.’”  So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord. And they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the Lord by Samuel.

David Takes Jerusalem

And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, that is, Jebus, where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land.  The inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You will not come in here.” Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David.  David said, “Whoever strikes the Jebusites first shall be chief and commander.” And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, so he became chief.  And David lived in the stronghold; therefore it was called the city of David.  And he built the city all around from the Millo in complete circuit, and Joab repaired the rest of the city.  And David became greater and greater, for the Lord of hosts was with him.

 

As I read back over this Scripture we see how different David was from men of his day, and more so of today.  Shall we examine the Scriptures to see when God first told David he would be king of Israel?  But first, let us see when God told King Saul through His prophet Samuel that he and his sons would not be kings over Israel.  1 Samuel 13:13-14, “You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.  But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”  We do not know how long  Saul was king over Israel after Samuel told him the Lord had taken it from him, but most believe 20-plus years.  

 

Now back to David, when he was a teenager, God sent Samuel to anoint him as the next king of Israel.  It was before David faced Goliath, and it was after David fought many battles under King Saul that Saul tried to kill him and he was banished by Saul and lived in the desert running from Saul.  It was almost 15 years between the time he was anointed and David became King.  

 

God was getting David ready, much like when as a shepherd boy he looked to God to fight the bears and lions that came after his father's sheep, he was now being taught how to lead a nation.  Waiting is not easy, but often it is the way God prepares us for His plan for our life.

 

Now a note on Joab, he was one of the mighty men, he gave David some good counsel but he also did evil in the Lord’s eyes when he killed two men who were more righteous than him, his time on earth did not end well.

 

From The Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice 

The Death of Saul and His Sons

 

 

1 Chronicle 10:1-14

 

February 20, 2023

 

The Death of Saul and His Sons

Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa.  And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul.  The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was wounded by the archers.  Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and mistreat me.” But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it.  And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died.  Thus Saul died; he and his three sons and all his house died together.  And when all the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that the army had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled, and the Philistines came and lived in them.

The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.  And they stripped him and took his head and his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to carry the good news to their idols and to the people.  And they put his armor in the temple of their gods and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon.  But when all Jabesh-Gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul, all the valiant men arose and took away the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons, and brought them to Jabesh. And they buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh and fasted seven days.

So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance.  He did not seek guidance from the Lord. Therefore the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.

Once more we see how God deals with sin, and you will recall when these same mighty valiant men wanted David to kill King Saul when he went into the cave where they were hiding to relieve himself.  But David told them he could not harm the Lord's anointed one, and only cut a piece of Saul's garment.  You also will recall that David showed the garment to Saul once he left the cave and Saul told David you are more honorable than me.  And withdrew from trying to kill David.

You also must remember Jonathan's relationship with David and knew that David would someday be the king and was happy about that.  Today in the United States we have a man who has lied and has sold out our Nation for money, and yet for some reason, we have no understanding of why God has not killed him.  Could he be the tool God is using to judge our nation?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The gatekeepers

 

 

 

1 Chronicles 9:17-27

 

February 18, 2023

 

The gatekeepers were Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their kinsmen (Shallum was the chief);  until then they were in the king's gate on the east side as the gatekeepers of the camps of the Levites.  Shallum the son of Kore, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah, and his kinsmen of his father's house, the Korahites, were in charge of the work of the service, keepers of the thresholds of the tent, as their fathers had been in charge of the camp of the Lord, keepers of the entrance.  And Phinehas the son of Eleazar was the chief officer over them in time past; the Lord was with him.  Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah was gatekeeper at the entrance of the tent of meeting.  All these, who were chosen as gatekeepers at the thresholds, were 212. They were enrolled by genealogies in their villages. David and Samuel the seer established them in their office of trust.  So they and their sons were in charge of the gates of the house of the Lord, that is, the house of the tent, as guards.  The gatekeepers were on the four sides, east, west, north, and south.  And their kinsmen who were in their villages were obligated to come in every seven days, in turn, to be with these,  for the four chief gatekeepers, who were Levites, were entrusted to be over the chambers and the treasures of the house of God.  And they lodged around the house of God, for on them lay the duty of watching, and they had charge of opening it every morning.

 

What thoughts enter your mind when you hear the word gatekeeper; could it be words like; porter, caretaker, doorkeeper, receptionist, or even concierge?  When I first began in sales it was with the Business  Products Division of 3M, and my job was selling copy machines.  Now it may be hard to believe but most businesses did not have copy machines, they had typewriters with a lot of carbon paper copies.  The receptionist was always back then a lady, and her job was to be the boss's gatekeeper, she made sure that the peddler did not bother the boss.  And they were good at doing so.  After many no he does not have time to see you, or we are not interested, I came up with a new approach.  Good morning, can you help me, I need help, I have been carrying this machine that will save you time and money, and I need to show it to the person who makes the decision.  It was key to getting past the gatekeeper, for most ladies have a mother's gift of helping and it worked. 

 

Now David and Samuel picked the brightest and most trusted men for this job, so shall we look at these 212 men to see what jobs they did.

 

 Some of them had charge of the utensils of service, for they were required to count them when they were brought in and taken out.  Others of them were appointed over the furniture and over all the holy utensils, also over the fine flour, the wine, the oil, the incense, and the spices.  Others, of the sons of the priests, prepared the mixing of the spices,  and Mattithiah, one of the Levites, the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, was entrusted with making the flat cakes.  Also, some of their kinsmen of the Kohathites had charge of the showbread, to prepare it every Sabbath.

Now these, the singers, the heads of fathers' houses of the Levites, were in the chambers of the temple free from other service, for they were on duty day and night.  These were heads of fathers' houses of the Levites, according to their generations, leaders. These lived in Jerusalem.

 From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

  

1 Chronicles 9:1-3

 

February 17, 2023

 

A Genealogy of the Returned Exiles

So all Israel was recorded in genealogies, and these are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel. And Judah was taken into exile in Babylon because of their breach of faith.  Now the first to dwell again in their possessions in their cities were Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the temple servants.  And some of the people of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh lived in Jerusalem: 

Who did they have a breach of faith with?  I did my research and once more found it well stated in Got Question.

God used Babylon as His agent of judgment against Israel for their sins of idolatry and rebellion against Him. There were actually several different times during this period (607-586 B.C.) when the Jews were taken captive by Babylon. With each successive rebellion against Babylonian rule, Nebuchadnezzar would lead his armies against Judah until they laid siege to Jerusalem for over a year, killing many people and destroying the Jewish temple, taking captive many thousands of Jews, and leaving Jerusalem in ruins.

As prophesied in Scripture, the Jewish people would be allowed to return to Jerusalem after 70 years of exile. That prophecy was fulfilled in 537 B.C., and the Jews were allowed by King Cyrus of Persia to return to Israel and begin rebuilding the city and temple. The return under the direction of Ezra led to a revival among the Jewish people and the rebuilding of the temple.

Under the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar II, the Babylonian Empire spread throughout the Middle East, and around 607 B.C., King Jehoiakim of Judah was forced into submission, becoming a vassal to Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings 24:1). It was during this time that Nebuchadnezzar took many of the finest and brightest young men from each city in Judah captive, including Daniel, Hananiah (Shadrach), Mishael (Meshach) and Azariah (Abednego). After three years of serving Nebuchadnezzar, Jehoiakim of Judah rebelled against Babylonian rule and once again turned to Egypt for support. After sending his army to deal with Judah’s revolt, Nebuchadnezzar himself left Babylon in 598 B.C. to deal with the problem. Arriving in Jerusalem around March of 597 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem, taking control of the area, looting it, and taking captive with him Jehoiakim’s son, Jehoiachin, his family, and almost all of the population of Judah, leaving only the poorest people of the land (2 Kings 24:8-16).

At that time Nebuchadnezzar appointed King Zedekiah to rule as his representative over Judah, but after nine years and still not having learned their lesson, Zedekiah led Judah in rebellion against Babylon one final time (2 Kings 24–25). Influenced by false prophets and ignoring Jeremiah’s warnings, Zedekiah decided to join a coalition that was being formed by Edom, Moab, Ammon, and Phoenicia in rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 27:1-3). This resulted in Nebuchadnezzar again laying siege to Jerusalem. Jerusalem fell in July 587 or 586 BC, and Zedekiah was taken captive to Babylon after seeing his sons killed before him and then having his eyes plucked out (2 Kings 25). At this time Jerusalem was laid to waste, the temple destroyed and all the houses burned. The majority of the Jewish people were taken captive, but, again, Nebuchadnezzar left a remnant of poor people to serve as farmers and vinedressers (2 Kings 25:12).

 

Are you wondering who God will use as His agent of judgment against the United States of America?   Was Israel's sins greater than ours, sins of idolatry and rebellion against Him?  Did Israel kill for convenience 62 million babies, did Israel tell God he was not allowed in their schools, did Israel teach little children that the God of Creation made a mistake and they were supposed to be the opposite sex.  And the reason for all of this was the little god they worship, money.  And a lack of fear of God, so they sold the concept of you have a right to do as you please, with a few exceptions.  But those who promoted the taking of life also sold this lie that it was not a life, just a cob of cells.  Why did they do so, so they could sell the babies part, once again we see the little god of money coming into being worshipped.  And like Israel we the USA  will experience judgment in that you and I have not been light, often we have followed the culture and sacrificed our family for the same little god, called money.

 

Choose right, seek the Lord, seek His forgiveness, and put on the armor that God has designed for doing spiritual battle on planet earth, for our battle is not against man, but schemes of the devil.

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Descendants of Issachar

  

1 Chronicles 7:1-5

 

February 16, 2023

 

Descendants of Issachar

The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron, four.  The sons of Tola: Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their fathers' houses, namely of Tola, mighty warriors of their generations, their number in the days of David being 22,600.  The son of Uzzi: Izrahiah. And the sons of Izrahiah: Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Isshiah, all five of them were chief men.  And along with them, by their generations, according to their fathers' houses, were units of the army for war, 36,000, for they had many wives and sons.  Their kinsmen belonging to all the clans of Issachar were in all 87,000 mighty warriors, enrolled by genealogy.

From Issachar came men who had many wives and sons, but that was not what made them different, no they were mighty warriors.  So what is a warrior?  The dictionary has this to say: A warrior is a person specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracy, class, or caste.

Much of that is true about the descendants of Issachar, but that does not answer the question of why one tribe was known as mighty warriors.  As you and I follow the council of 2 Timothy 2:15, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”  It comes into focus that God had a plan for each of the 12 tribes, as He does for you and me.  In that, our Father is all-knowing and has seen you and I before we were, He knew that His chosen people would be required to be a pure race of people and that their neighbors who worship stick and metal imagines and not the God of Creation, would make them desire a god that they could see.

And my brothers and sisters in Christ that is a message that is still in effect to this day, with you and me.   It is found in 2 Corinthians 6:14-16,

 

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?  What accord has Christ with Belial?  Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?   What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,

“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

A yoke is a wooden bar that joins two oxen to each other and to the burden they pull. An “unequally yoked” team has one stronger ox and one weaker, or one taller and one shorter. The weaker or shorter ox would walk more slowly than the taller, stronger one, causing the load to go around in circles. When oxen are unequally yoked, they cannot perform the task set before them. Instead of working together, they are at odds with one another. (Taken from Got question)

We who claim to be Followers of Christ must turn from the little gods, such as money, and titles, and being self-center, to seeking truth, and Jesus is Truth.  God is our king, we are aliens on planet Earth, it is not our home, it is temporary housing.

When it comes to being yoked with unbelievers, we are seeing the result that the divorce rate in the Church is no different than in the non-believing world.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice