Chapter31 says that there was abundance in the church at that because the people faithfully tithed. In Chapter33 witchcraft and saonces,alking to the dead, are both evil and sinful. tas ----- Original Message ----- From: "O.Addison Gethers" <[email protected]> To: "Deaf-blind inspirational life groups" <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, May 09, 2009 8:36 AM Subject: {dbilg} Fw: Daily Bible Reading For Saturday May 9
> > > O. Addison Gethers > e-mail address : [email protected] or [email protected] > window live messenger: [email protected] aim: durangoadd64 skype: > cowboys62 yahoo messenger: OADDISONGETHERS > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Donnie Parrett" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Friday, May 08, 2009 11:52 PM > Subject: Daily Bible Reading For Saturday May 9 > > >>2 Chronicles 31-33 (The Message) >> >> 2 Chronicles 31 >> 1After the Passover celebration, they all took off for the cities of >> Judah >> and smashed the phallic >> stone monuments, chopped down the sacred Asherah groves, and demolished >> the neighborhood >> sex-and-religion shrines and local god shops. They didn't stop until they >> had been all through >> Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh. Then they all went back home and >> resumed their everyday >> lives. >> 2 Hezekiah organized the groups of priests and Levites for their >> respective tasks, handing out job >> descriptions for conducting the services of worship: making the various >> offerings, and making sure >> that thanks and praise took place wherever and whenever God was >> worshiped. >> >> 3 He also designated his personal contribution for the >> Whole-Burnt-Offerings for the morning and >> evening worship, for Sabbaths, for New Moon festivals, and for the >> special >> worship days set down in >> The Revelation of God. >> >> 4 In addition, he asked the people who lived in Jerusalem to be >> responsible for providing for the >> priests and Levites so they, without distraction or concern, could give >> themselves totally to The >> Revelation of God. >> >> 5-7 As soon as Hezekiah's orders had gone out, the Israelites responded >> generously: firstfruits of >> the grain harvest, new wine, oil, honey-everything they grew. They didn't >> hold back, turning over a >> tithe of everything. They also brought in a tithe of their cattle, sheep, >> and anything else they >> owned that had been dedicated to God. Everything was sorted and piled in >> mounds. They started doing >> this in the third month and didn't finish until the seventh month. >> >> 8-9 When Hezekiah and his leaders came and saw the extent of the mounds >> of >> gifts, they praised God >> and commended God's people Israel. Hezekiah then consulted the priests >> and >> Levites on how to handle >> the abundance of offerings. >> >> 10 Azariah, chief priest of the family of Zadok, answered, "From the >> moment of this huge outpouring >> of gifts to The Temple of God, there has been plenty to eat for everyone >> with food left over. God >> has blessed his people-just look at the evidence!" >> >> 11-18 Hezekiah then ordered storerooms to be prepared in The Temple of >> God. When they were ready, >> they brought in all the offerings of tithes and sacred gifts. They put >> Conaniah the Levite in charge >> with his brother Shimei as assistant. Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, >> Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, >> Ismakiah, Mahath, and Benaiah were project managers under the direction >> of >> Conaniah and Shimei, >> carrying out the orders of King Hezekiah and Azariah the chief priest of >> The Temple of God. Kore son >> of Imnah the Levite, security guard of the East Gate, was in charge of >> the >> Freewill-Offerings of God >> and responsible for distributing the offerings and sacred gifts. Faithful >> support out in the >> priestly cities was provided by Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, >> Amariah, >> and Shecaniah. They were >> even-handed in their distributions to their coworkers (all males thirty >> years and older) in each of >> their respective divisions as they entered The Temple of God each day to >> do their assigned work >> (their work was all organized by divisions). The divisions comprised >> officially registered priests >> by family and Levites twenty years and older by job description. The >> official family tree included >> everyone in the entire congregation-their small children, wives, sons, >> and >> daughters. The ardent >> dedication they showed in bringing themselves and their gifts to worship >> was total-no one was left >> out. >> >> 19 The Aaronites, the priests who lived out on the pastures that belonged >> to the priest-cities, had >> reputable men on hand to distribute regular rations to every >> priest-everyone listed in the official >> family tree of the Levites. >> >> 20-21 Hezekiah carried out this work and kept it up everywhere in Judah. >> He was the very best-good, >> right, and true before his God. Everything he took up, whether it had to >> do with worship in God's >> Temple or the carrying out of God's Law and Commandments, he did well in >> a >> spirit of prayerful >> worship. He was a great success. >> >> 2 Chronicles 32 >> 1 And then, after this exemplary track record, this: Sennacherib king of >> Assyria came and attacked >> Judah. He put the fortified cities under siege, determined to take them. >> 2-4 When Hezekiah realized that Sennacherib's strategy was to take >> Jerusalem, he talked to his >> advisors and military leaders about eliminating all the water supplies >> outside the city; they >> thought it was a good idea. There was a great turnout of people to plug >> the springs and tear down >> the aqueduct. They said, "Why should the kings of Assyria march in and be >> furnished with running >> water?" >> >> 5-6 Hezekiah also went to work repairing every part of the city wall that >> was damaged, built >> defensive towers on it, built another wall of defense further out, and >> reinforced the defensive >> rampart (the Millo) of the old City of David. He also built up a large >> store of armaments-spears and >> shields. He then appointed military officers to be responsible for the >> people and got them all >> together at the public square in front of the city gate. >> >> 6-8 Hezekiah rallied the people, saying, "Be strong! Take courage! Don't >> be intimidated by the king >> of Assyria and his troops-there are more on our side than on their side. >> He only has a bunch of mere >> men; we have our God to help us and fight for us!" >> >> Morale surged. Hezekiah's words put steel in their spines. >> >> 9-15 Later on, Sennacherib, who had set up camp a few miles away at >> Lachish, sent messengers to >> Jerusalem, addressing Judah through Hezekiah: "A proclamation of >> Sennacherib king of Assyria: You >> poor people-do you think you're safe in that so-called fortress of >> Jerusalem? You're sitting ducks. >> Do you think Hezekiah will save you? Don't be stupid-Hezekiah has fed you >> a pack of lies. When he >> says, 'God will save us from the power of the king of Assyria,' he's >> lying-you're all going to end >> up dead. Wasn't it Hezekiah who cleared out all the neighborhood worship >> shrines and told you, >> 'There is only one legitimate place to worship'? Do you have any idea >> what >> I and my ancestors have >> done to all the countries around here? Has there been a single god >> anywhere strong enough to stand >> up against me? Can you name one god among all the nations that either I >> or >> my ancestors have ravaged >> that so much as lifted a finger against me? So what makes you think >> you'll >> make out any better with >> your god? Don't let Hezekiah fool you; don't let him get by with his >> barefaced lies; don't trust >> him. No god of any country or kingdom ever has been one bit of help >> against me or my ancestors-what >> kind of odds does that give your god?" >> >> 16 The messengers felt free to throw in their personal comments, putting >> down both God and God's >> servant Hezekiah. >> >> 17 Sennacherib continued to send letters insulting the God of Israel: >> "The >> gods of the nations were >> powerless to help their people; the god of Hezekiah is no better, >> probably >> worse." >> >> 18-19 The messengers would come up to the wall of Jerusalem and shout up >> to the people standing on >> the wall, shouting their propaganda in Hebrew, trying to scare them into >> demoralized submission. >> They contemptuously lumped the God of Jerusalem in with the handmade gods >> of other peoples. >> >> 20-21 King Hezekiah, joined by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz, responded >> by praying, calling up to >> heaven. God answered by sending an angel who wiped out everyone in the >> Assyrian camp, both warriors >> and officers. Sennacherib was forced to return home in disgrace, tail >> between his legs. When he went >> into the temple of his god, his own sons killed him. >> >> 22-23 God saved Hezekiah and the citizens of Jerusalem from Sennacherib >> king of Assyria and >> everyone else. And he continued to take good care of them. People >> streamed >> into Jerusalem bringing >> offerings for the worship of God and expensive presents to Hezekiah king >> of Judah. All the >> surrounding nations were impressed-Hezekiah's stock soared. >> >> >> 24 Some time later Hezekiah became deathly sick. He prayed to God and was >> given a reassuring sign. >> >> 25-26 But the sign, instead of making Hezekiah grateful, made him >> arrogant. This made God angry, >> and his anger spilled over on Judah and Jerusalem. But then Hezekiah, and >> Jerusalem with him, >> repented of his arrogance, and God withdrew his anger while Hezekiah >> lived. >> >> 27-31 Hezekiah ended up very wealthy and much honored. He built >> treasuries >> for all his silver, >> gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and valuables, barns for the >> grain, new wine, and olive oil, >> stalls for his various breeds of cattle, and pens for his flocks. He >> founded royal cities for >> himself and built up huge stocks of sheep and cattle. God saw to it that >> he was extravagantly rich. >> Hezekiah was also responsible for diverting the upper outlet of the Gihon >> spring and rerouting the >> water to the west side of the City of David. Hezekiah succeeded in >> everything he did. But when the >> rulers of Babylon sent emissaries to find out about the sign from God >> that >> had taken place earlier, >> God left him on his own to see what he would do; he wanted to test his >> heart. >> >> >> 32-33 The rest of the history of Hezekiah and his life of loyal service, >> you can read for >> yourself-it's written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz in >> the Royal Annals of the >> Kings of Judah and Israel. When Hezekiah died, they buried him in the >> upper part of the King David >> cemetery. Everyone in Judah and Jerusalem came to the funeral. He was >> buried in great honor. >> >> Manasseh his son was the next king. >> >> 2 Chronicles 33 >> King Manasseh >> 1-6Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king. He ruled for >> fifty-five years in Jerusalem. >> In God's opinion he was a bad king-an evil king. He reintroduced all the >> moral rot and spiritual >> corruption that had been scoured from the country when God dispossessed >> the pagan nations in favor >> of the children of Israel. He rebuilt the sex-and-religion shrines that >> his father Hezekiah had torn >> down, he built altars and phallic images for the sex god Baal and the sex >> goddess Asherah and >> worshiped the cosmic powers, taking orders from the constellations. He >> built shrines to the cosmic >> powers and placed them in both courtyards of The Temple of God, the very >> Jerusalem Temple dedicated >> exclusively by God's decree to God's Name ("in Jerusalem I place my >> Name"). He burned his own sons >> in a sacrificial rite in the Valley of Ben Hinnom. He practiced >> witchcraft >> and fortunetelling. He >> held seances and consulted spirits from the underworld. Much evil-in >> God's >> view a career in evil. >> And God was angry. >> 7-8 As a last straw he placed a carved image of the sex goddess Asherah >> that he had commissioned in >> The Temple of God, a flagrant and provocative violation of God's >> well-known command to both David >> and Solomon, "In this Temple and in this city Jerusalem, my choice out of >> all the tribes of Israel, >> I place my Name-exclusively and forever." He had promised, "Never again >> will I let my people Israel >> wander off from this land I've given to their ancestors. But on this >> condition, that they keep >> everything I've commanded in the instructions my servant Moses passed on >> to them." >> >> 9-10 But Manasseh led Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem off the beaten >> path into practices of >> evil exceeding even the evil of the pagan nations that God had earlier >> destroyed. When God spoke to >> Manasseh and his people about this, they ignored him. >> >> 11-13 Then God directed the leaders of the troops of the king of Assyria >> to come after Manasseh. >> They put a hook in his nose, shackles on his feet, and took him off to >> Babylon. Now that he was in >> trouble, he went to his knees in prayer asking for help-total repentance >> before the God of his >> ancestors. As he prayed, God was touched; God listened and brought him >> back to Jerusalem as king. >> That convinced Manasseh that God was in control. >> >> 14-17 After that Manasseh rebuilt the outside defensive wall of the City >> of David to the west of >> the Gihon spring in the valley. It went from the Fish Gate and around the >> hill of Ophel. He also >> increased its height. He tightened up the defense system by posting army >> captains in all the >> fortress cities of Judah. He also did a good spring cleaning on The >> Temple, carting out the pagan >> idols and the goddess statue. He took all the altars he had set up on The >> Temple hill and throughout >> Jerusalem and dumped them outside the city. He put the Altar of God back >> in working order and >> restored worship, sacrificing Peace-Offerings and Thank-Offerings. He >> issued orders to the people: >> "You shall serve and worship God, the God of Israel." But the people >> didn't take him seriously-they >> used the name "God" but kept on going to the old pagan neighborhood >> shrines and doing the same old >> things. >> >> 18-19 The rest of the history of Manasseh-his prayer to his God, and the >> sermons the prophets >> personally delivered by authority of God, the God of Israel-this is all >> written in The Chronicles of >> the Kings of Israel. His prayer and how God was touched by his prayer, a >> list of all his sins and >> the things he did wrong, the actual places where he built the pagan >> shrines, the installation of the >> sex-goddess Asherah sites, and the idolatrous images that he worshiped >> previous to his >> conversion-this is all described in the records of the prophets. >> >> 20 When Manasseh died, they buried him in the palace garden. His son Amon >> was the next king. >> >> King Amon >> 21-23 Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king. He was king for >> two years in Jerusalem. In >> God's opinion he lived an evil life, just like his father Manasseh, but >> he >> never did repent to God >> as Manasseh repented. He just kept at it, going from one thing to >> another. >> 24-25 In the end Amon's servants revolted and assassinated him-killed the >> king right in his own >> palace. The citizens in their turn then killed the king's assassins. The >> citizens then crowned >> Josiah, Amon's son, as king. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Please join us on Skype Monday thru Friday at 8:00 EST for our Morning >> Skype Prayer Time. >> >> >> Contact Me At: >> Donnie Parrett >> 1956 Asa Flat Road >> Annville, Kentucky 40402 >> Home Phone: 606-364-3321 >> Church Phone: 606-364-PRAY >> Skype Name: Donnie1261 >> Email: [email protected] >> >> > > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Deaf-Blind Inspirational Life Group" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/DBILG?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
