1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:05,640 Speaker 1: Life audio. Hi, and good morning friends and faithful listeners, 2 00:00:05,680 --> 00:00:09,400 Speaker 1: and welcome to Second Chronicles chapter twenty eight. We're gonna 3 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:13,240 Speaker 1: be finishing up this chapter today and talking about why 4 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:19,120 Speaker 1: idolatry in every form breeds selfishness. That'll be our topic 5 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:21,880 Speaker 1: for today, not to mention just the rest of King 6 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:26,160 Speaker 1: a Has his very sad life where he just refused 7 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:29,840 Speaker 1: to accept anything that God gave him, even a prophecy 8 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:32,760 Speaker 1: at one point in time, a Has just completely rejected it, 9 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:34,640 Speaker 1: and we ended up getting one of the most famous 10 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:38,800 Speaker 1: verses in history because of a Has his rejection of 11 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:40,840 Speaker 1: one of God's profits. So we'll talk about that today 12 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:49,280 Speaker 1: as well. Okay, faithful listeners, I'm not gonna lie. My 13 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:52,200 Speaker 1: throat is really killing me right now, so I'm going 14 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:54,920 Speaker 1: to jump right into the episode right after a short 15 00:00:55,040 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 1: add break. Okay, let's jump right in. We're gonna be 16 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:04,360 Speaker 1: reading Second Chronicles Chapter twenty eight, verses sixteen through twenty seven, 17 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:08,199 Speaker 1: finishing up this chapter talking about the life and death 18 00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:10,800 Speaker 1: of King a Has. We'll also be switching around in 19 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:14,000 Speaker 1: scripture quite a bit, actually, so we'll be discussing some 20 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:17,480 Speaker 1: things from Second Kings and then also the prophets Isaiah 21 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 1: and Joel. So definitely grab your Bibles for this one 22 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:23,000 Speaker 1: if you're able to, if you're not driving or at work. 23 00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:26,360 Speaker 1: I always recommend you guys grab a Bible for yourselves, 24 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 1: and don't just take my word for it, because I 25 00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:30,640 Speaker 1: am human and I make mistakes, so you should read 26 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:33,200 Speaker 1: it for yourselves. But again, let's go ahead and start 27 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:36,600 Speaker 1: in second chronicles twenty eight sixteen through twenty seven. I'll 28 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:41,000 Speaker 1: be reading as usual from the web. At that time, 29 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:43,120 Speaker 1: King A has sent to the kings of Assyria to 30 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:46,119 Speaker 1: help him, for again the Edomites had come and struck 31 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:50,040 Speaker 1: Judah and carried away captives. The Philistines had also invaded 32 00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:52,440 Speaker 1: the cities of the lowland and of the south of Judah, 33 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:57,120 Speaker 1: and had taken Beth Schemesh, Ajalon, Jederoth, Soko with its villages, 34 00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:00,520 Speaker 1: Timnoh with its villages, and also Gimzo and its villages, 35 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:04,040 Speaker 1: and they lived there. For Yahweh brought Judah low because 36 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:07,040 Speaker 1: of Ahaz, king of Israel, because he acted without restraint 37 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:11,680 Speaker 1: in Judah and trespassed severely against Yahweh. Tigleth Palazer, king 38 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:14,360 Speaker 1: of Assyria, came to him and gave him trouble. But 39 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:17,359 Speaker 1: didn't strengthen him. For AHAs took away a portion out 40 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:19,280 Speaker 1: of Yaowai's house and out of the house of the 41 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:21,320 Speaker 1: king and of the princes, and gave it to the 42 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:23,960 Speaker 1: king of Assyria. But it didn't help him. In the 43 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:27,360 Speaker 1: time of his distress, he trespassed yet more against Yahweh, 44 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:30,320 Speaker 1: this same king AHAs, for he sacrificed to the gods 45 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:33,840 Speaker 1: of Damascus, which had defeated him. He said, because the 46 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 1: gods of the kings of Syria helped them, I will 47 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 1: sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they 48 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:41,799 Speaker 1: were the ruin of him and all Israel. Ah has 49 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:44,680 Speaker 1: gathered together the vessels of God's house, cut the vessels 50 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 1: of God's house in pieces, and shut up the doors 51 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:50,320 Speaker 1: of Yahwai's house. And he made himself altars in every 52 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:53,359 Speaker 1: corner of Jerusalem, in every city of Judah. He made 53 00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:57,200 Speaker 1: high places to burn incense to other gods, and provoked Yahweh, 54 00:02:57,240 --> 00:03:00,120 Speaker 1: the God of his fathers, to anger. Now the rest 55 00:02:59,919 --> 00:03:03,320 Speaker 1: of his acts and all his ways first and last, behold, 56 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:05,280 Speaker 1: they are written in the book of the Kings of Judah. 57 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:08,079 Speaker 1: And israel A has slept with his fathers, and they 58 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:10,840 Speaker 1: buried him in the city even in Jerusalem, because they 59 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 1: didn't bring him into the tombs of the kings of Israel, 60 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:18,160 Speaker 1: and Hezekiah, his son, reigned in his place. We've been 61 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:20,600 Speaker 1: studying a Has for a few days now, and if 62 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:23,160 Speaker 1: you guys remember what we talked about earlier, a Has 63 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:25,360 Speaker 1: was a really bad king. I mean, it kind of 64 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 1: explains that right here in the portion we just read. 65 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:30,440 Speaker 1: But a Has was a bad king because not only 66 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 1: did he sacrifice to all these other gods, but he 67 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:38,120 Speaker 1: also introduced human sacrifice into Judah. And this was something 68 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:40,560 Speaker 1: that was not really introduced before that we know of. 69 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 1: There were I'm sure some niche groups that performed human 70 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:47,280 Speaker 1: sacrifice in Judah, but it was not the commonplace, not 71 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:52,440 Speaker 1: until a Has brings all of this garbage in to Judah. 72 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 1: So God is angry, obviously with a Has and with 73 00:03:56,520 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 1: all of this idolatry that's taking place in Judah. And 74 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:03,320 Speaker 1: these wars start happening in Judah because God is beginning 75 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:06,720 Speaker 1: to take his hand of blessing off of Judah. And 76 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:09,560 Speaker 1: we talked about all that the other day. One of 77 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:12,000 Speaker 1: the first things that happens is the Syrians come in 78 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:14,120 Speaker 1: and they actually take a city in the northern part 79 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 1: of Judah, and they took a whole bunch of hostages 80 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:20,760 Speaker 1: away from Judah and enslaved them. And then also the 81 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:24,320 Speaker 1: Israelite king, like the King of Israel up north, was 82 00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:27,640 Speaker 1: also attacking Judah and slaughtered like one hundred and twenty 83 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:30,600 Speaker 1: thousand of their warriors overnight. That's what it says in 84 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:32,320 Speaker 1: verse six of this chapter. And this is a very 85 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:34,800 Speaker 1: important verse because of what it says at the end. 86 00:04:34,880 --> 00:04:37,599 Speaker 1: Here it says, for Peka, the son of Ramalia, killed 87 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:40,160 Speaker 1: in Judah one hundred and twenty thousand in one day, 88 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:44,120 Speaker 1: all of them valiant men, because they had forsaken Yahweh, 89 00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:47,000 Speaker 1: the God of their fathers. So it wasn't just a 90 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 1: has that God was punishing. He was punishing Judah because 91 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:54,840 Speaker 1: all the people had forsaken God. They all followed in 92 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:58,560 Speaker 1: the footsteps of AHAs and were performing these idolatrous rituals, 93 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:02,800 Speaker 1: whether it was human sacrifice, vice, or religious prostitution or 94 00:05:04,360 --> 00:05:07,120 Speaker 1: fesis worship, whatever it might be, that the Judaites were 95 00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:09,599 Speaker 1: doing it. This time God was not happy with and 96 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:11,919 Speaker 1: so God was beginning to take his hand of blessing 97 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:15,120 Speaker 1: off of Judah. But yet we talked about how we 98 00:05:15,160 --> 00:05:18,480 Speaker 1: can still see God working in Judah in spite of 99 00:05:18,520 --> 00:05:21,719 Speaker 1: all of these problems that were taking place. God was 100 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:25,920 Speaker 1: protecting certain people. He was helping his people and showing 101 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:28,480 Speaker 1: mercy to them in spite of these wars that they 102 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:33,280 Speaker 1: were experiencing. So now let's jump to verse sixteen, which 103 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:36,160 Speaker 1: is where we started reading today, and get into how 104 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:38,840 Speaker 1: Ah has responds to all of these problems he's experiencing 105 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:41,560 Speaker 1: in Judah. It says in verse sixteen that at that 106 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:44,440 Speaker 1: time King A has sent to the kings of Assyria 107 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:47,400 Speaker 1: to help him, for again the Edomites had come and 108 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:51,400 Speaker 1: struck Judah and carried away captives. The Philistines had also 109 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:53,760 Speaker 1: invaded the cities of the lowland and of the south 110 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:57,359 Speaker 1: of Judah and had taken Beth schamesh Ajalon, Jederath, and 111 00:05:57,440 --> 00:06:00,320 Speaker 1: Soko with its villages, Timnah with its villages, and also 112 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 1: Gimzo and its villages, and they lived there. So there 113 00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:08,280 Speaker 1: is problems happening on every single side of Judah at 114 00:06:08,279 --> 00:06:10,479 Speaker 1: this point in time, like God is trying to get 115 00:06:10,520 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 1: through to Judah that they need a savior. Problems are 116 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:18,560 Speaker 1: coming from all around them, coming from up north in Israel, 117 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:23,080 Speaker 1: coming from the west, which would have been Assyria and 118 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:27,200 Speaker 1: Syria coming from the south with Edom coming in and attacking, 119 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:30,000 Speaker 1: and not to mention the Philistines near where the Gaza 120 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:34,120 Speaker 1: Strip is to the east, even the Philistines were attacking 121 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:38,359 Speaker 1: the Judites at this point in time, So everybody, literally 122 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:42,040 Speaker 1: the Judites are surrounded by enemies and they had no 123 00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:44,760 Speaker 1: one to help them. And it says right here in 124 00:06:44,839 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 1: verse nineteen that this happened because a Has, king of Israel, 125 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:55,160 Speaker 1: acted without restraint in Judah and trespassed severely against Yahweh. 126 00:06:55,640 --> 00:07:01,440 Speaker 1: It says specifically that Yahweh brought Judah low because of this. So, yeah, 127 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:03,640 Speaker 1: earlier in verse six of this chapter, we saw that 128 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:07,800 Speaker 1: God brought Judah low because the people themselves were trespassing 129 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:10,720 Speaker 1: against Yahweh. But now we see that God is bringing 130 00:07:10,840 --> 00:07:15,560 Speaker 1: Judah low because a Has, the king of Judah, is 131 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:21,400 Speaker 1: also trespassing severely against Yahweh and encouraging this idolatry that's 132 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:25,840 Speaker 1: going on in Judah. At this point, we got to 133 00:07:25,880 --> 00:07:31,000 Speaker 1: turn over to Second Kings, chapter sixteen to read a 134 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:34,040 Speaker 1: little bit more about what a Has does in order 135 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:38,360 Speaker 1: to supposedly protect himself. It says in verse seven a 136 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:42,600 Speaker 1: Has sent messengers to tig with Palazer, the King of Syria, saying, 137 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:45,600 Speaker 1: I am your servant and your son. Come up and 138 00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:47,760 Speaker 1: save me out of the hand of the King of Syria, 139 00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:49,679 Speaker 1: and out of the hand of the King of Israel, 140 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:52,520 Speaker 1: who rise up against me. So A has took the 141 00:07:52,560 --> 00:07:54,760 Speaker 1: silver and the gold that was found in Yahwa's house 142 00:07:54,760 --> 00:07:57,040 Speaker 1: and in the treasures of the King's house, and sent 143 00:07:57,120 --> 00:08:00,600 Speaker 1: it to a present to the King of Assyria. We 144 00:08:00,640 --> 00:08:03,680 Speaker 1: covered this exact topic last year when we were in 145 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:06,560 Speaker 1: the Book of Second Kings, but when I was rereading 146 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:10,400 Speaker 1: it for today's passage, the one thing that really struck 147 00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:15,200 Speaker 1: me is that A has seems to be worshiping the 148 00:08:15,280 --> 00:08:18,160 Speaker 1: King of Assyria right here. And here's what I mean 149 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:20,760 Speaker 1: by this. He sends word to take with Pelaizer, the 150 00:08:20,840 --> 00:08:23,680 Speaker 1: King of Assyria, and he says to him, I am 151 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:27,960 Speaker 1: your servant and your son. In the New Testament, when 152 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:30,880 Speaker 1: the apostles prayed to God, what did they often say 153 00:08:30,880 --> 00:08:35,079 Speaker 1: to God, God, I am your servant. That's how Paul, 154 00:08:35,559 --> 00:08:37,880 Speaker 1: you know, would start all of his letters. He'd be 155 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:41,200 Speaker 1: like Paul, a prisoner for Christ, a servant of Christ, 156 00:08:41,240 --> 00:08:44,400 Speaker 1: a slave of Christ. And the reason the apostles called 157 00:08:44,440 --> 00:08:48,559 Speaker 1: themselves slaves of Christ. Was because they worshiped Christ. They 158 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:53,440 Speaker 1: dedicated their lives completely to God. So whatever God's will was, 159 00:08:53,600 --> 00:08:57,200 Speaker 1: they were going to submit to that will. They would 160 00:08:57,280 --> 00:09:00,920 Speaker 1: rather become a servant of God and submit to God's will, 161 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:04,280 Speaker 1: which is perfect and all knowing, rather than submit to 162 00:09:04,320 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 1: their own will, which is fleeting and potentially harmful and 163 00:09:09,960 --> 00:09:13,480 Speaker 1: certainly not all knowing. And that's why the apostles called 164 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:18,080 Speaker 1: themselves the servants of God. And that is what a 165 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:21,400 Speaker 1: Has says to Tig with Polazer, the king of Assyria, 166 00:09:21,480 --> 00:09:24,240 Speaker 1: which by the way, a terrible person to reach out to, 167 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:28,199 Speaker 1: especially if you know what was happening in the Middle 168 00:09:28,240 --> 00:09:31,599 Speaker 1: East at this point in time. Assyria is conquering everybody 169 00:09:32,240 --> 00:09:35,040 Speaker 1: like they were just going like scorched earth on the world. 170 00:09:35,880 --> 00:09:39,640 Speaker 1: They actually went into Israel and pretty much completely destroyed 171 00:09:39,679 --> 00:09:44,000 Speaker 1: it right around this time, and they also destroyed Syria 172 00:09:44,440 --> 00:09:48,640 Speaker 1: as well. The Assyrians were not somebody that you wanted 173 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:53,760 Speaker 1: to mess with or really to give any amount of 174 00:09:53,800 --> 00:09:57,719 Speaker 1: control over your nation whatsoever, because if you did, they 175 00:09:57,840 --> 00:09:59,800 Speaker 1: just come in and take it from you. And that 176 00:09:59,880 --> 00:10:02,560 Speaker 1: is essentially what a Has is doing. He's like giving 177 00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:05,840 Speaker 1: himself over to these Assyrians. Not only does he call 178 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:10,080 Speaker 1: himself the servant of the Assyrians, he also calls himself 179 00:10:10,160 --> 00:10:13,040 Speaker 1: their son. He says, I am your servant and your son. 180 00:10:14,559 --> 00:10:18,120 Speaker 1: That also reminds me of when we worship God, when 181 00:10:18,160 --> 00:10:20,880 Speaker 1: we pray to God. How many times in the New 182 00:10:20,920 --> 00:10:26,040 Speaker 1: Testament scriptures did the authors say that we are the 183 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:30,640 Speaker 1: adopted sons and daughters of Jesus. So a Has right 184 00:10:30,640 --> 00:10:36,680 Speaker 1: here is using language to this human Assyrian evil king 185 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:42,920 Speaker 1: that somebody would use when praying to God. A Has says, 186 00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:45,920 Speaker 1: I am your servant and your son. And he says, 187 00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:48,800 Speaker 1: come up and save me out of the hand of 188 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:50,439 Speaker 1: the king of Syria and out of the hand of 189 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:53,800 Speaker 1: the King of Israel, who rise up against me. Does 190 00:10:53,840 --> 00:10:56,320 Speaker 1: that not sound like a prayer? Like when you sit 191 00:10:56,400 --> 00:10:59,240 Speaker 1: down to talk to God because you're really distressed about something, 192 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:01,360 Speaker 1: Do you not say to God, God, God, come and 193 00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:04,720 Speaker 1: help me with this problem, please, like be my savior. 194 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:09,080 Speaker 1: Instead of a Has going to the Almighty God to 195 00:11:09,240 --> 00:11:13,959 Speaker 1: ask for help, he begs and prays to a human 196 00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:17,480 Speaker 1: evil king and then also says in the next verse, 197 00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:20,800 Speaker 1: second King sixteen verse eight, A has took the silver 198 00:11:20,840 --> 00:11:22,840 Speaker 1: and the gold that was found in yaway's house and 199 00:11:22,840 --> 00:11:25,320 Speaker 1: in the treasuries of the king's house, and send it 200 00:11:25,360 --> 00:11:29,320 Speaker 1: for a present to the king of Assyria. So basically 201 00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:33,120 Speaker 1: a has took the things that belonged to God, you know, 202 00:11:33,160 --> 00:11:35,720 Speaker 1: the treasuries out of God's house, and sent it to 203 00:11:35,840 --> 00:11:41,760 Speaker 1: a human king. A has was worshiping this King of 204 00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:46,559 Speaker 1: Assyria by praying to him, by begging for help, by 205 00:11:46,679 --> 00:11:50,320 Speaker 1: using language that somebody would use to God, and also 206 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:53,839 Speaker 1: by stealing from God's house, stealing from the things that 207 00:11:54,280 --> 00:11:57,440 Speaker 1: belonged to God. In fact, God himself says that the 208 00:11:57,440 --> 00:12:01,280 Speaker 1: things in the temple belonged to him. In Joel chapter three, 209 00:12:01,559 --> 00:12:05,760 Speaker 1: verses four through six, God says to tire inside on. 210 00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:08,559 Speaker 1: He says, yes, and what are you to me? Tire 211 00:12:08,600 --> 00:12:11,880 Speaker 1: inside on and all the regions of Philistia, will you 212 00:12:11,920 --> 00:12:14,600 Speaker 1: repay me? And if you repay me, I will swiftly 213 00:12:14,679 --> 00:12:17,839 Speaker 1: and speedily return your repayment on your own head. Because 214 00:12:17,840 --> 00:12:20,480 Speaker 1: you have taken my silver and my gold, and have 215 00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:24,280 Speaker 1: carried my finest treasures into your temples, and have sold 216 00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:26,600 Speaker 1: the children of Judah and the children of Jerusalem to 217 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:29,640 Speaker 1: the sons of the Greeks, that you may remove them 218 00:12:29,880 --> 00:12:33,880 Speaker 1: far from their border. So God right there makes it 219 00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:36,720 Speaker 1: very clear that's silver in that gold that's found in 220 00:12:36,760 --> 00:12:39,600 Speaker 1: my house, that belongs to me. That is my silver 221 00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:41,640 Speaker 1: and my gold, and you have no right to take 222 00:12:41,679 --> 00:12:43,680 Speaker 1: it from me. And yet that is what a Has 223 00:12:43,800 --> 00:12:48,160 Speaker 1: does in Second King sixteen right here. Instead of begging 224 00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:51,439 Speaker 1: God for help and giving God a present, a Has 225 00:12:51,520 --> 00:12:55,400 Speaker 1: steals from God and begs a different king, a human king, 226 00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:59,040 Speaker 1: for help. And that really shows where ah has heart 227 00:12:59,320 --> 00:13:03,600 Speaker 1: truly was. He never followed Yahweh in his entire life, 228 00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:08,000 Speaker 1: not once. He was a terrible, terrible king. There's an 229 00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:12,000 Speaker 1: interesting little story about a Has in Isaiah chapter seven 230 00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:16,240 Speaker 1: right now, in this moment in Judah's history, there is 231 00:13:16,280 --> 00:13:19,880 Speaker 1: a very famous prophet that was writing prophecy. His name 232 00:13:19,920 --> 00:13:22,200 Speaker 1: was Isaiah. You might know him because of the Book 233 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:27,240 Speaker 1: of Isaiah. Isaiah actually went to a Has and told 234 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:31,000 Speaker 1: him to seek Yahweh. Here's what it says. I'm going 235 00:13:31,040 --> 00:13:34,440 Speaker 1: to read the whole thing, verses one through fourteen. And 236 00:13:34,480 --> 00:13:37,000 Speaker 1: you might recognize actually some of these verses, even if 237 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:41,920 Speaker 1: you're not super well versed in the Bible, because these 238 00:13:41,960 --> 00:13:45,120 Speaker 1: are some very famous verses that we read at Christmas 239 00:13:45,160 --> 00:13:48,280 Speaker 1: time in the days of a Has the son of Jotham, 240 00:13:48,320 --> 00:13:50,719 Speaker 1: the son of Uziah, king of Judah, raised in the 241 00:13:50,800 --> 00:13:53,000 Speaker 1: king of Syria, and Pekah, the son of Ramalia, King 242 00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:55,480 Speaker 1: of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to war against it, 243 00:13:55,520 --> 00:13:58,440 Speaker 1: but could not prevail against it. His heart trembled, and 244 00:13:58,480 --> 00:14:00,400 Speaker 1: the heart of his people, as the true trees of 245 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:04,160 Speaker 1: the forest tremble with the wind. Then Yahwehs said Isaiah, 246 00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:07,560 Speaker 1: go out now to meet ahaz you and Sheer Daeshub, 247 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:10,079 Speaker 1: your son at the end of the conduit of the 248 00:14:10,160 --> 00:14:13,360 Speaker 1: upper pool, on the highway of the Fuller's field. Tell 249 00:14:13,480 --> 00:14:17,320 Speaker 1: him be careful and keep calm. Don't be afraid, neither 250 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:19,800 Speaker 1: let your heart be faint because of these two tales 251 00:14:19,800 --> 00:14:22,880 Speaker 1: of smoking torches, for the fierce anger of Raisin and 252 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:27,320 Speaker 1: Syria and the son of Vermolia. Because Syria, Ephriam and 253 00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:29,800 Speaker 1: the son of Vermalia have plotted evil against you, saying, 254 00:14:29,960 --> 00:14:32,080 Speaker 1: let's go up against Judah and tear it apart, and 255 00:14:32,160 --> 00:14:34,360 Speaker 1: let's divide it among ourselves and set up a king 256 00:14:34,440 --> 00:14:37,280 Speaker 1: within it. Even the son of Tabil. This is what 257 00:14:37,320 --> 00:14:40,760 Speaker 1: the Lord Yahways says. It shall not stand, neither shall 258 00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:43,720 Speaker 1: it happen. For the head of Syria is Damascus, and 259 00:14:43,760 --> 00:14:47,240 Speaker 1: the head of Damascus is Raisin. Within sixty five years, 260 00:14:47,280 --> 00:14:50,040 Speaker 1: Eprium shall be broken in pieces so that it shall 261 00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:52,800 Speaker 1: not be a people. The head of Ephrium is Samaria, 262 00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:55,800 Speaker 1: and the head of Samaria is Ramalia's son. If you 263 00:14:55,800 --> 00:15:00,440 Speaker 1: will not believe, surely you have not been established again 264 00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:02,920 Speaker 1: to a Has saying, ask a sign of Yahweh or God, 265 00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:05,960 Speaker 1: ask it either in the depth or in the height above. 266 00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:11,280 Speaker 1: But a Has said, I won't ask. I won't tempt Yahweh. 267 00:15:11,320 --> 00:15:14,440 Speaker 1: He said, listen, now, house of David. Is it not 268 00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:17,000 Speaker 1: enough for you to try the patience of men, that 269 00:15:17,080 --> 00:15:20,400 Speaker 1: you will try the patience of my God. Also, therefore 270 00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:22,960 Speaker 1: the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the 271 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:25,840 Speaker 1: Virgin will conceive and bear a son, and shall call 272 00:15:25,920 --> 00:15:30,360 Speaker 1: his name Emmanuel. That's where we get the famous Christmas prophecy. 273 00:15:30,360 --> 00:15:33,360 Speaker 1: It's actually tied to King a Has. And what Isaiah 274 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:37,080 Speaker 1: seven is talking about here is this entire trial that 275 00:15:37,120 --> 00:15:39,640 Speaker 1: a Has is going through, where he's experiencing all these 276 00:15:39,680 --> 00:15:43,560 Speaker 1: different wars. He doesn't seek Yahweh. It says that he 277 00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:46,480 Speaker 1: was trembling like a leaf because of all this stuff 278 00:15:46,480 --> 00:15:50,000 Speaker 1: that's going on in Judah. He doesn't seek yahweh. So 279 00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:55,320 Speaker 1: God actually seeks after him by sending Isaiah to a 280 00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:58,680 Speaker 1: Has and being like, hey, a Has, don't be afraid. 281 00:15:59,040 --> 00:16:02,760 Speaker 1: God is with you. He's going to protect you even 282 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:04,960 Speaker 1: though all of these bad things are happening. They're not 283 00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:09,800 Speaker 1: going to come to fruition against you. And God tells Isaiah, 284 00:16:10,320 --> 00:16:14,160 Speaker 1: have a Has ask for a sign anything he wants. 285 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:16,760 Speaker 1: It could be as high as the sky is above, 286 00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:19,000 Speaker 1: or it could be as low as the depths are 287 00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:22,760 Speaker 1: beneath your feet. Whatever a Has asks, I will perform 288 00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:27,720 Speaker 1: it for him. And a Has rejects God's offer for 289 00:16:27,800 --> 00:16:31,640 Speaker 1: a sign. Like a Has could have been like, yeah, okay, 290 00:16:31,680 --> 00:16:35,400 Speaker 1: I will ask for a sign like help me against 291 00:16:35,440 --> 00:16:39,560 Speaker 1: my enemies, and God would have done it, but he didn't. Instead, 292 00:16:39,720 --> 00:16:43,960 Speaker 1: he acts in complete unbelief, and not even unbelief, but 293 00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:48,040 Speaker 1: indifference to God. He's just like, yeah, whatever, I don't 294 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:50,400 Speaker 1: believe any of this. I'm not gonna ask for a sign. 295 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:53,360 Speaker 1: That's what he says. I'm not asking for a sign. 296 00:16:53,400 --> 00:16:57,200 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna tempt yahweh. That is nothing but indifference 297 00:16:57,240 --> 00:16:59,560 Speaker 1: to what God just told him and a complete excuse 298 00:16:59,640 --> 00:17:02,160 Speaker 1: as well, well, I'm not going to tempt God, But 299 00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:06,600 Speaker 1: I will sacrifice my child that God gave me by 300 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:09,600 Speaker 1: burning him to death, and that apparently won't test God. 301 00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:12,480 Speaker 1: But if I ask for a sign when he asked 302 00:17:12,520 --> 00:17:17,760 Speaker 1: me to ask, that, I guess will just complete ridiculous response. 303 00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:20,479 Speaker 1: And God gets angry obviously, and so does Isaiah. Right 304 00:17:20,560 --> 00:17:22,800 Speaker 1: here he says, is it not enough for you to 305 00:17:22,840 --> 00:17:24,600 Speaker 1: try the patience of men? That you will try the 306 00:17:24,640 --> 00:17:27,960 Speaker 1: patience of my God? He says, Therefore, the Lord himself 307 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:30,520 Speaker 1: will give you a sign. The virgin will conceive and 308 00:17:30,560 --> 00:17:35,359 Speaker 1: bear a son and shall call his name Emmanuel. A 309 00:17:35,480 --> 00:17:38,440 Speaker 1: has refused to ask for a sign, So God gives 310 00:17:38,960 --> 00:17:43,480 Speaker 1: Judah and the entire world this beautiful sign that the 311 00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:48,960 Speaker 1: Virgin Mary would conceive and bear the Messiah. That shows 312 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:53,960 Speaker 1: the level of I don't know, hatred or indifference or 313 00:17:54,600 --> 00:18:00,040 Speaker 1: just absolute uncaring that A has was towards Yahweh. But 314 00:18:00,160 --> 00:18:02,560 Speaker 1: yet he was so caring to all these other gods 315 00:18:02,560 --> 00:18:06,160 Speaker 1: and all these other people. It's just a really really 316 00:18:06,200 --> 00:18:09,679 Speaker 1: sad fact. So if you turn again to sewod King's sixteen, 317 00:18:11,119 --> 00:18:14,560 Speaker 1: it says in verse ten through sixteen, and I'll just 318 00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:17,480 Speaker 1: summarize all of this that King A has, You know, 319 00:18:17,520 --> 00:18:19,840 Speaker 1: after he sends that letter to tig with Pulazer, the 320 00:18:19,920 --> 00:18:23,119 Speaker 1: king of Assyria. The Assyrian king actually did respond to 321 00:18:23,200 --> 00:18:26,560 Speaker 1: it and went and pretty much destroyed Syria. Like that 322 00:18:26,640 --> 00:18:29,080 Speaker 1: was the end of Syria. Tigleth Polaizer went in and 323 00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:33,240 Speaker 1: Syria was no more. So now Tigleth Blazer is in 324 00:18:33,320 --> 00:18:37,679 Speaker 1: Damascus because he just conquered it. You know, Damascus was 325 00:18:37,720 --> 00:18:42,240 Speaker 1: the capital city of former Syria. And so a Has 326 00:18:42,320 --> 00:18:44,920 Speaker 1: decides he's going to go up to Damascus and meet 327 00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:49,160 Speaker 1: tig with Polazer. So he goes, and he's in Damascus 328 00:18:49,200 --> 00:18:51,280 Speaker 1: and he's looking around and he sees all of these 329 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:56,680 Speaker 1: pretty statues and idols and altars and all this stuff, 330 00:18:57,400 --> 00:19:00,959 Speaker 1: and he sees an altar that he especially liked. So 331 00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:06,199 Speaker 1: he sends plans for this altar down to Judah to 332 00:19:06,280 --> 00:19:09,280 Speaker 1: the temple, to the high priest at the time, whose 333 00:19:09,359 --> 00:19:14,080 Speaker 1: name was Eurija, and he orders Euriija to make this 334 00:19:14,280 --> 00:19:20,320 Speaker 1: same altar in the courtyard of Yahweis temple. And Euraija 335 00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:24,280 Speaker 1: does it. He makes this horrible altar and sets it 336 00:19:24,359 --> 00:19:28,120 Speaker 1: in the courtyard of God's temple. So then when AHAs 337 00:19:28,160 --> 00:19:32,080 Speaker 1: gets home, he immediately sacrifices on this altar and after 338 00:19:32,119 --> 00:19:34,960 Speaker 1: that Ah has starts moving all of the temple furniture, 339 00:19:35,760 --> 00:19:39,439 Speaker 1: and just like getting rid of it. He removes the 340 00:19:39,480 --> 00:19:43,639 Speaker 1: big bronze altar to like the north part of the 341 00:19:43,880 --> 00:19:48,119 Speaker 1: temple so that his little damaskan altar to the foreign 342 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:52,760 Speaker 1: gods can really shine. And then he moves the big 343 00:19:52,840 --> 00:19:56,520 Speaker 1: basin called the sea off of its base and he 344 00:19:56,560 --> 00:19:59,560 Speaker 1: just puts it on like a concrete pad, and then 345 00:19:59,560 --> 00:20:02,280 Speaker 1: he starts It's just like getting rid of stuff in 346 00:20:02,359 --> 00:20:05,320 Speaker 1: God's house. So let's turn to Second Chronicles and read 347 00:20:05,359 --> 00:20:10,000 Speaker 1: about that. It says in verse twenty three, he sacrificed 348 00:20:10,040 --> 00:20:13,320 Speaker 1: to the gods of Damascus, which had defeated him. He said, 349 00:20:13,320 --> 00:20:15,400 Speaker 1: because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, 350 00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:17,679 Speaker 1: I will sacrifice to them that they may help me. 351 00:20:18,119 --> 00:20:20,200 Speaker 1: But they were the ruin of him in all Israel. 352 00:20:21,040 --> 00:20:23,800 Speaker 1: And I think what's funny about that line. I think 353 00:20:23,840 --> 00:20:28,560 Speaker 1: even scripture understands the irony of this, because even though 354 00:20:28,680 --> 00:20:36,280 Speaker 1: Syria defeated Judah, Syria was defeated by the Assyrians not 355 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:41,400 Speaker 1: too long after that, So how could the Syrian gods 356 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:46,080 Speaker 1: be any help when Syria is no more at this 357 00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:50,560 Speaker 1: point in time? Like Syria was nonexistent. And yet this 358 00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:53,520 Speaker 1: is how AHAs thinking. He's like, oh, the Syrian gods 359 00:20:53,560 --> 00:20:57,120 Speaker 1: really helped them in their battle against me. So I'm 360 00:20:57,119 --> 00:21:00,600 Speaker 1: going to start worshiping these Syrian gods. I'm gonna start 361 00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:04,960 Speaker 1: worshiping the gods of Damascus. And so he incorporated all 362 00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:08,359 Speaker 1: of that stuff. In Yahway's temple. It says, A has 363 00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:11,359 Speaker 1: gathered together the vessels of God's house, cut the vessels 364 00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:14,320 Speaker 1: of God's house in pieces, and shut up the doors 365 00:21:14,320 --> 00:21:17,280 Speaker 1: to Yahway's house. And he made himself alters in every 366 00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:20,320 Speaker 1: corner of Jerusalem. It says, in every city of Judah, 367 00:21:20,320 --> 00:21:22,560 Speaker 1: he made high places to burn incense to other gods 368 00:21:22,560 --> 00:21:26,040 Speaker 1: and provoked Yahweh, the god of his fathers, to anger. 369 00:21:26,560 --> 00:21:28,920 Speaker 1: And this shows right here that everything that the good 370 00:21:29,000 --> 00:21:33,000 Speaker 1: kings of Judah had done to remove idolatry out of 371 00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:37,320 Speaker 1: Judah is now gone. It's done. So it's over, because 372 00:21:37,359 --> 00:21:42,480 Speaker 1: A goes in and just reinstates all of this trash 373 00:21:42,960 --> 00:21:46,399 Speaker 1: in Judah. All of these high places are back, all 374 00:21:46,480 --> 00:21:50,119 Speaker 1: of these altars are back, the Asherah cult is back, 375 00:21:50,520 --> 00:21:55,800 Speaker 1: the worship of Molik and Bail that's all back. Everything 376 00:21:55,880 --> 00:21:58,320 Speaker 1: is back, all of this hard work that these good 377 00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:01,719 Speaker 1: kings put in to reform Judah so that they worship 378 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:05,040 Speaker 1: Yahweh once again, it's just over. And not only that, 379 00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:08,000 Speaker 1: it says that a Has actually eventually shut the doors 380 00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:12,240 Speaker 1: to Yawai's house, So essentially Yahism was dead in Judah 381 00:22:12,280 --> 00:22:13,760 Speaker 1: at this point in time. Like, there's always going to 382 00:22:13,760 --> 00:22:16,680 Speaker 1: be people that worship Yahweh obviously, no matter what kind 383 00:22:16,720 --> 00:22:20,920 Speaker 1: of persecution takes place, because God is powerful, there's always 384 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:23,200 Speaker 1: going to be Yahweh worshippers to the end of the age. 385 00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:28,120 Speaker 1: But worshiping Yahweh was no longer friendly in Judah. Even 386 00:22:28,160 --> 00:22:33,720 Speaker 1: though Yahweh was supposed to be the God of Judah, 387 00:22:33,760 --> 00:22:36,680 Speaker 1: they completely rejected him. And the people had a lot 388 00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:38,639 Speaker 1: to do with this. I mean, think about that high 389 00:22:38,640 --> 00:22:42,880 Speaker 1: priest who just makes that disgusting little altar in place 390 00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:47,199 Speaker 1: of God's alter with no problems, no qualms about that whatsoever, 391 00:22:47,640 --> 00:22:51,879 Speaker 1: no qualms about a Has shutting everything down and cutting 392 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:54,639 Speaker 1: up God's stuff into pieces, as if it's just scrap 393 00:22:54,680 --> 00:22:57,119 Speaker 1: metal that can be reused. I mean, it wasn't just 394 00:22:57,160 --> 00:22:59,119 Speaker 1: a Has doing all this stuff. It was the people 395 00:22:59,480 --> 00:23:02,040 Speaker 1: going along with it. It was these yes men that 396 00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:06,359 Speaker 1: surrounded a Has just agreeing to everything a has did, 397 00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:10,360 Speaker 1: and the people also were agreeing with it. We see 398 00:23:10,359 --> 00:23:13,320 Speaker 1: that in the Major and Minor Prophets. The prophets are 399 00:23:13,359 --> 00:23:17,480 Speaker 1: constantly calling Judah out for their corruption and their violence 400 00:23:17,960 --> 00:23:20,679 Speaker 1: and the evil that was going on there all the time, 401 00:23:21,440 --> 00:23:24,080 Speaker 1: not just the worship of all of these other idols, 402 00:23:24,359 --> 00:23:26,880 Speaker 1: but so much violence came in the city as well. 403 00:23:27,480 --> 00:23:32,000 Speaker 1: Because when somebody worships a false idol, it essentially breeds selfishness. 404 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:35,160 Speaker 1: And I think about that, because what did I say 405 00:23:35,160 --> 00:23:37,760 Speaker 1: at the beginning of this episode. The apostles in the 406 00:23:37,800 --> 00:23:41,640 Speaker 1: New Testament, they humbled themselves before Yahweh and called themselves 407 00:23:41,920 --> 00:23:46,359 Speaker 1: servants of God. That is not selfish. It is not 408 00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:51,000 Speaker 1: selfish to serve somebody, right, that is selfless. The worship 409 00:23:51,040 --> 00:23:56,280 Speaker 1: of Yahweh produces selflessness, which means that people try to 410 00:23:56,840 --> 00:24:00,760 Speaker 1: help others more, because that is what God wants his 411 00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:04,560 Speaker 1: followers to do. There's a famous chapter in the New 412 00:24:04,600 --> 00:24:08,879 Speaker 1: Testament onse Corinthians thirteen. It's called the Love Chapter. It 413 00:24:08,920 --> 00:24:14,159 Speaker 1: talks about how God's people must love other people that 414 00:24:14,320 --> 00:24:18,120 Speaker 1: is not selfish, that is selfless. But when you worship 415 00:24:18,320 --> 00:24:24,760 Speaker 1: a false idol, it breeds selfishness because you are just 416 00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:28,680 Speaker 1: having this transactional deal between you and this little god. 417 00:24:29,200 --> 00:24:32,800 Speaker 1: You're saying, okay, little God, I will give you my 418 00:24:32,880 --> 00:24:37,000 Speaker 1: firstborn son and kill him so that you give me 419 00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:42,040 Speaker 1: either more children or good crops this year, or wealth 420 00:24:42,320 --> 00:24:46,399 Speaker 1: or whatever else I want. That's a transactional deal. I 421 00:24:46,480 --> 00:24:49,480 Speaker 1: give you something, you shell out stuff for me. All 422 00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:54,720 Speaker 1: forms of idolatry breed, selfishness, and I would even say 423 00:24:54,800 --> 00:24:59,760 Speaker 1: narcissism because you're only thinking about yourself. What can I 424 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:05,040 Speaker 1: get from worshiping this god? Yahweh does not want that 425 00:25:05,160 --> 00:25:07,760 Speaker 1: kind of relationship with us, which is why a lot 426 00:25:07,800 --> 00:25:11,600 Speaker 1: of times he does not give us the things we 427 00:25:11,640 --> 00:25:15,200 Speaker 1: ask for, because first and foremost, he's not a genie, 428 00:25:15,320 --> 00:25:19,199 Speaker 1: and secondly, he wants a real relationship with us, like 429 00:25:19,280 --> 00:25:23,720 Speaker 1: a father and son or daughter type of relationship where 430 00:25:24,240 --> 00:25:25,800 Speaker 1: a son and a daughter can go up to their 431 00:25:25,880 --> 00:25:28,120 Speaker 1: dad and be like, hey, Dad, I really want this thing, 432 00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:32,280 Speaker 1: and the dad, in his kindness, can say, yes, you 433 00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:34,480 Speaker 1: know what, I'll give you that thing because I love you, 434 00:25:35,320 --> 00:25:37,240 Speaker 1: or the dad can be like, no, I'm not going 435 00:25:37,320 --> 00:25:39,240 Speaker 1: to give you that thing because I don't think that's good, 436 00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:42,040 Speaker 1: and the kid might be all angry and be like, well, 437 00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:44,840 Speaker 1: why not, I think I deserve it, And the Dad's like, well, 438 00:25:45,160 --> 00:25:48,480 Speaker 1: you don't deserve it, you don't need that, it's bad 439 00:25:48,520 --> 00:25:52,000 Speaker 1: for you. For whatever reason, God does not want a 440 00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:57,639 Speaker 1: transactional relationship with his people. He wants a heartfelt, deep 441 00:25:58,200 --> 00:26:03,480 Speaker 1: father daughter father son relationship. And when we become the 442 00:26:03,560 --> 00:26:06,280 Speaker 1: sons and daughters of God, he tells us how to 443 00:26:06,359 --> 00:26:10,800 Speaker 1: live to benefit other people. And ironically, this all comes 444 00:26:10,840 --> 00:26:15,280 Speaker 1: back around to us being fulfilled spiritually. So we do 445 00:26:15,359 --> 00:26:21,320 Speaker 1: gain something from worshiping Yahweh. We gain spiritual fulfillment. Jesus says, 446 00:26:21,359 --> 00:26:23,879 Speaker 1: He's the living water and the bread of life, that 447 00:26:23,960 --> 00:26:27,320 Speaker 1: when we drink from the living water and we eat 448 00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:29,240 Speaker 1: the bread of life, we're not going to be hungry 449 00:26:29,400 --> 00:26:33,080 Speaker 1: or thirsty. Again, he fulfills us. So we do gain 450 00:26:33,119 --> 00:26:36,880 Speaker 1: something from worshiping God, but it's not this transactional type 451 00:26:36,960 --> 00:26:39,960 Speaker 1: of gain. So, going back to my original point, the 452 00:26:40,040 --> 00:26:45,040 Speaker 1: reason Judah as a whole became so violent and corrupt 453 00:26:45,920 --> 00:26:51,359 Speaker 1: was because of this idolatry that was absolutely festering in 454 00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:55,920 Speaker 1: Jerusalem and Judah at this time. This idolatry was making 455 00:26:55,960 --> 00:26:59,920 Speaker 1: people more and more selfish, so that they just wanted 456 00:27:00,160 --> 00:27:02,879 Speaker 1: whatever they wanted, and they would do anything they could 457 00:27:03,359 --> 00:27:07,000 Speaker 1: to get it. That's what idolatry does, and that's why 458 00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:11,399 Speaker 1: God was so highly against it. But to finish off 459 00:27:11,480 --> 00:27:14,000 Speaker 1: right here, in verses twenty six and twenty seven, it 460 00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:17,520 Speaker 1: says that a Has dies, a has slept with his fathers. 461 00:27:17,600 --> 00:27:19,600 Speaker 1: They buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem, because 462 00:27:19,640 --> 00:27:21,280 Speaker 1: they didn't bring him into the tombs of the kings 463 00:27:21,320 --> 00:27:25,359 Speaker 1: of Israel and Hezekiah, his son reigned in his place. Now, 464 00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:28,560 Speaker 1: whenever it says right here that a king slept with 465 00:27:28,560 --> 00:27:31,080 Speaker 1: their fathers, that does not necessarily mean that the king 466 00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:34,000 Speaker 1: was saved. It's just old fashioned language to say that 467 00:27:34,080 --> 00:27:37,640 Speaker 1: the king died. We know that a Has most likely 468 00:27:38,160 --> 00:27:41,520 Speaker 1: was not a saved individual because he was an evil 469 00:27:41,520 --> 00:27:44,960 Speaker 1: and corrupt man who caused a lot of evil and 470 00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:48,160 Speaker 1: corrupt things to happen in Judah and Jerusalem. So though 471 00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:50,679 Speaker 1: he slept with his fathers, I don't think that necessarily 472 00:27:50,680 --> 00:27:53,760 Speaker 1: means he went to heaven. But they didn't even bury 473 00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:55,640 Speaker 1: him in the tombs of the kings. And I don't 474 00:27:55,680 --> 00:27:58,199 Speaker 1: exactly know why it doesn't say that right here, but 475 00:27:58,280 --> 00:28:00,360 Speaker 1: they just buried him in the city. And it could 476 00:28:00,400 --> 00:28:04,520 Speaker 1: be because however, he died, they thought that his body 477 00:28:04,720 --> 00:28:08,639 Speaker 1: might corrupt some of the other bodies. We see that 478 00:28:08,680 --> 00:28:10,880 Speaker 1: with kings that would get really sick a lot of times, 479 00:28:10,920 --> 00:28:12,640 Speaker 1: they wouldn't be buried in the tombs of the other 480 00:28:12,760 --> 00:28:15,840 Speaker 1: kings because of the cleanliness laws that were happening in 481 00:28:15,920 --> 00:28:18,119 Speaker 1: Judah at this time, where it could be that the 482 00:28:18,160 --> 00:28:20,880 Speaker 1: people just didn't like a Has all that much at 483 00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:22,919 Speaker 1: the end of his life and just chose not to 484 00:28:22,920 --> 00:28:27,040 Speaker 1: give him the burial of the kings. So we don't 485 00:28:27,080 --> 00:28:28,880 Speaker 1: really know what happened there. But we're going to talk 486 00:28:28,920 --> 00:28:33,240 Speaker 1: about King Hezekiah on Thursday, and I'm really looking forward 487 00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:36,880 Speaker 1: to getting into Hezekiah's life because he was a great king. 488 00:28:37,880 --> 00:28:41,080 Speaker 1: Even though a Has was a terrible, terrible king, Hezekiah 489 00:28:41,200 --> 00:28:43,920 Speaker 1: was one of the best in Judah's history. So we're 490 00:28:43,920 --> 00:28:47,640 Speaker 1: going to get into King Hezekiah on Wednesday. I'm sorry, 491 00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:50,120 Speaker 1: said I think I said Thursday earlier. I'm sorry Wednesday. 492 00:28:50,240 --> 00:28:52,480 Speaker 1: We're going to get into Hezekiah's life on Wednesday, So 493 00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:55,280 Speaker 1: I'm looking forward to talking to you guys about that. 494 00:28:55,800 --> 00:28:57,880 Speaker 1: But faithful listeners, before you go, here is an ad 495 00:28:57,920 --> 00:29:01,160 Speaker 1: from one of our sponsors. And after that, I will 496 00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:05,720 Speaker 1: say happy listening and God Bless. I'm just gonna warn 497 00:29:05,760 --> 00:29:08,040 Speaker 1: all of you guys real quick before I go that 498 00:29:08,480 --> 00:29:12,480 Speaker 1: my throat is getting progressively worse through this episode, and 499 00:29:12,520 --> 00:29:14,520 Speaker 1: I'm not shocked if I'm coming down with something. I 500 00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:17,360 Speaker 1: have been around a lot of sick people this past week. 501 00:29:17,840 --> 00:29:21,040 Speaker 1: My husband has been sick, and then yesterday I was 502 00:29:21,440 --> 00:29:24,480 Speaker 1: at church and two of our ministry leaders were also 503 00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:27,360 Speaker 1: sick coming down with something. So if that's the case, 504 00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:29,280 Speaker 1: I'm hoping tomorrow I can still do an episode because 505 00:29:29,280 --> 00:29:30,720 Speaker 1: I'm really really excited to get into the Book of 506 00:29:30,760 --> 00:29:33,600 Speaker 1: Hebrews with you guys, like genuinely looking forward to the 507 00:29:33,600 --> 00:29:36,560 Speaker 1: Book of Hebrews because it's my favorite New Testament book 508 00:29:36,600 --> 00:29:38,440 Speaker 1: and we're supposed to start it tomorrow, but if we 509 00:29:38,480 --> 00:29:41,160 Speaker 1: don't start it tomorrow, we will start it on Thursday, 510 00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:45,280 Speaker 1: but hopefully it's tomorrow. And also on Wednesday, we will 511 00:29:45,320 --> 00:29:48,240 Speaker 1: be discussing the life of Hezekiah. So some really exciting 512 00:29:48,280 --> 00:29:51,880 Speaker 1: stuff coming up on the podcast. But faithful listeners, I 513 00:29:51,880 --> 00:29:54,800 Speaker 1: hope you have a fantastic and wonderful rest of your day. 514 00:29:55,200 --> 00:30:03,600 Speaker 1: As always, happy listening, and God Bless. I just want 515 00:30:03,640 --> 00:30:05,320 Speaker 1: to take a second to thank the team at Life 516 00:30:05,320 --> 00:30:08,280 Speaker 1: Audio for their partnership with me on the Bible Explain podcast. 517 00:30:08,640 --> 00:30:10,880 Speaker 1: In fact, if you go to lifeaudio dot com you'll 518 00:30:10,920 --> 00:30:13,680 Speaker 1: find dozens of other faith centered podcasts in their network. 519 00:30:13,920 --> 00:30:17,520 Speaker 1: They've got shows about prayer, Bible study, parenting, and more.