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: Saturday, May 09, 2009 11:45 PM Subject: Daily Bible Reading For Sunday May 10 >2 Chronicles 34-36 (The Message) > > 2 Chronicles 34 > King Josiah > 1-2 Josiah was eight years old when he became king. He ruled for > thirty-one years in Jerusalem. He > behaved well before God. He kept straight on the path blazed by his > ancestor David, not one step to > the left or right. > 3-7 When he had been king for eight years-he was still only a teenager- he > began to seek the God of > David his ancestor. Four years later, the twelfth year of his reign, he > set out to cleanse the > neighborhood of sex-and-religion shrines, and get rid of the sacred > Asherah groves and the god and > goddess figurines, whether carved or cast, from Judah. He wrecked the Baal > shrines, tore down the > altars connected with them, and scattered the debris and ashes over the > graves of those who had > worshiped at them. He burned the bones of the priests on the same altars > they had used when alive. > He scrubbed the place clean, Judah and Jerusalem, clean inside and out. > The cleanup campaign ranged > outward to the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, Simeon, and the surrounding > neighborhoods-as far north > as Naphtali. Throughout Israel he demolished the altars and Asherah > groves, pulverized the god and > goddess figures, chopped up the neighborhood shrines into firewood. With > Israel once more intact, he > returned to Jerusalem. > > 8-13 One day in the eighteenth year of his kingship, with the cleanup of > country and Temple > complete, King Josiah sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, Maaseiah the mayor of > the city, and Joah son of > Joahaz the historian to renovate The Temple of God. First they turned over > to Hilkiah the high > priest all the money collected by the Levitical security guards from > Manasseh and Ephraim and the > rest of Israel, and from Judah and Benjamin and the citizens of Jerusalem. > It was then put into the > hands of the foremen managing the work on The Temple of God who then > passed it on to the workers > repairing God's Temple-the carpenters, construction workers, and masons-so > they could buy the lumber > and dressed stone for rebuilding the foundations the kings of Judah had > allowed to fall to pieces. > The workmen were honest and diligent. Their foremen were Jahath and > Obadiah, the Merarite Levites, > and Zechariah and Meshullam from the Kohathites-these managed the project. > The Levites-they were all > skilled musicians-were in charge of the common laborers and supervised the > workers as they went from > job to job. The Levites also served as accountants, managers, and security > guards. > > 14-17 While the money that had been given for The Temple of God was being > received and dispersed, > Hilkiah the high priest found a copy of The Revelation of Moses. He > reported to Shaphan the royal > secretary, "I've just found the Book of God's Revelation, instructing us > in God's way-found it in > The Temple!" He gave it to Shaphan, who then gave it to the king. And > along with the book, he gave > this report: "The job is complete-everything you ordered done is done. > They took all the money that > was collected in The Temple of God and handed it over to the managers and > workers." > > 18 And then Shaphan told the king, "Hilkiah the priest gave me a book." > Shaphan proceeded to read > it out to the king. > > 19-21 When the king heard what was written in the book, God's Revelation, > he ripped his robes in > dismay. And then he called for Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son > of Micah, Shaphan the royal > secretary, and Asaiah the king's personal aide. He ordered them all: "Go > and pray to God for me and > what's left of Israel and Judah. Find out what we must do in response to > what is written in this > book that has just been found! God's anger must be burning furiously > against us-our ancestors > haven't obeyed a thing written in this book of God, followed none of the > instructions directed to > us." > > 22-25 Hilkiah and those picked by the king went straight to Huldah the > prophetess. She was the wife > of Shallum son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, who was in charge of the > palace wardrobe. She lived in > Jerusalem in the Second Quarter. The men consulted with her. In response > to them she said, "God's > word, the God of Israel: Tell the man who sent you here, 'God has spoken, > I'm on my way to bring the > doom of judgment on this place and this people. Every word written in the > book read by the king of > Judah will happen. And why? Because they've deserted me and taken up with > other gods; they've made > me thoroughly angry by setting up their god-making businesses. My anger is > raging white-hot against > this place and nobody is going to put it out.' > > 26-28 "And also tell the king of Judah, since he sent you to ask God for > direction, God's comment > on what he read in the book: 'Because you took seriously the doom of > judgment I spoke against this > place and people, and because you responded in humble repentance, tearing > your robe in dismay and > weeping before me, I'm taking you seriously. God's word. I'll take care of > you; you'll have a quiet > death and be buried in peace. You won't be around to see the doom that I'm > going to bring upon this > place and people.'" > > The men took her message back to the king. > > 29-31 The king acted immediately, assembling all the elders of Judah and > Jerusalem, and then > proceeding to The Temple of God bringing everyone in his train-priests and > prophets and people > ranging from the least to the greatest. Then he read out publicly > everything written in the Book of > the Covenant that was found in The Temple of God. The king stood by his > pillar and before God > solemnly committed himself to the covenant: to follow God believingly and > obediently; to follow his > instructions, heart and soul, on what to believe and do; to confirm with > his life the entire > covenant, all that was written in the book. > > 32 Then he made everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin commit themselves. And > they did it. They > committed themselves to the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors. > > 33 Josiah did a thorough job of cleaning up the pollution that had spread > throughout Israelite > territory and got everyone started fresh again, serving and worshiping > their God. All through > Josiah's life the people kept to the straight and narrow, obediently > following God, the God of their > ancestors. > > 2 Chronicles 35 > 1-4Josiah celebrated the Passover to God in Jerusalem. They killed the > Passover lambs on the > fourteenth day of the first month. He gave the priests detailed > instructions and encouraged them in > the work of leading worship in The Temple of God. He also told the Levites > who were in charge of > teaching and guiding Israel in all matters of worship (they were > especially consecrated for this), > "Place the sacred Chest in The Temple that Solomon son of David, the king > of Israel, built. You > don't have to carry it around on your shoulders any longer! Serve God and > God's people Israel. > Organize yourselves by families for your respective responsibilities, > following the instructions > left by David king of Israel and Solomon his son. > 5-6 "Take your place in the sanctuary-a team of Levites for every grouping > of your fellow citizens, > the laity. Your job is to kill the Passover lambs, then consecrate > yourselves and prepare the lambs > so that everyone will be able to keep the Passover exactly as God > commanded through Moses." > > 7-9 Josiah personally donated thirty thousand sheep, lambs, and goats and > three thousand > bulls-everything needed for the Passover celebration was there. His > officials also pitched in on > behalf of the people, including the priests and the Levites. Hilkiah, > Zechariah, and Jehiel, leaders > in The Temple of God, gave twenty-six hundred lambs and three hundred > bulls to the priests for the > Passover offerings. Conaniah, his brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel, along > with the Levitical chiefs > Hashabiah, Jeiel, and Jozabad, donated five thousand lambs and five > hundred bulls to the Levites for > the Passover offerings. > > 10-13 Preparations were complete for the service of worship; the priests > took up their positions > and the Levites were at their posts as instructed by the king. They killed > the Passover lambs, and > while the priests sprinkled the blood from the lambs, the Levites skinned > them out. Then they set > aside the Whole-Burnt-Offering for presentation to the family groupings of > the people so that each > group could offer it to God following the instructions in the Book of > Moses. They did the same with > the cattle. They roasted the Passover lamb according to the instructions > and boiled the consecrated > offerings in pots and kettles and pans and promptly served the people. > > 14 After the people had eaten the holy meal, the Levites served themselves > and the Aaronite > priests-the priests were busy late into the night making the offerings at > the Altar. > > 15 The Asaph singers were all in their places following the instructions > of David, Asaph, Heman, > and Jeduthun the king's seer. The security guards were on duty at each > gate-the Levites also served > them because they couldn't leave their posts. > > 16-19 Everything went without a hitch in the worship of God that day as > they celebrated the > Passover and the offering of the Whole-Burnt-Offering on the Altar of God. > It went just as Josiah > had ordered. The Israelites celebrated the Passover, also known as the > Feast of Unraised Bread, for > seven days. The Passover hadn't been celebrated like this since the days > of Samuel the prophet. None > of the kings had done it. But Josiah, the priests, the Levites, all Judah > and Israel who were there > that week, plus the citizens of Jerusalem-they did it. In the eighteenth > year of the rule of King > Josiah, this Passover was celebrated. > > > 20 Some time later, after Josiah's reformation of The Temple, Neco king of > Egypt marched out toward > Carchemish on the Euphrates River on his way to war. Josiah went out to > fight him. > > 21 Neco sent messengers to Josiah saying, "What do we have against each > other, O King of Judah? I > haven't come to fight against you but against the country with whom I'm at > war. God commanded me to > hurry, so don't get in my way; you'll only interfere with God, who is on > my side in this, and he'll > destroy you." > > 22-23 But Josiah was spoiling for a fight and wouldn't listen to a thing > Neco said (in actuality it > was God who said it). Though King Josiah disguised himself when they met > on the plain of Megiddo, > archers shot him anyway. > > The king said to his servants, "Get me out of here-I'm badly wounded." > > 24-25 So his servants took him out of his chariot and laid him down in an > ambulance chariot and > drove him back to Jerusalem. He died there and was buried in the family > cemetery. Everybody in Judah > and Jerusalem attended the funeral. Jeremiah composed an anthem of lament > for Josiah. The anthem is > still sung by the choirs of Israel to this day. The anthem is written in > the Laments. > > 26-1 The rest of the history of Josiah, his exemplary and devout life, > conformed to The Revelation > of God. The whole story, from start to finish, is written in the Royal > Annals of the Kings of Israel > and Judah. By popular choice, Jehoahaz son of Josiah was made king at > Jerusalem, succeeding his > father. > > King Jehoahaz > 2-3 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to rule. > He was king in Jerusalem for a mere three months. The king of Egypt > dethroned him and forced the > country to pay him nearly four tons of silver and seventy-five pounds of > gold. > > King Jehoiakim > 4 Neco king of Egypt then made Eliakim, Jehoahaz's brother, king of Judah > and Jerusalem, but changed > his name to Jehoiakim; then he took Jehoahaz back with him to Egypt. > 5 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to rule; he was king > for eleven years in > Jerusalem. In God's opinion he was an evil king. > > 6-7 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made war against him, and bound him in > bronze chains, intending > to take him prisoner to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar also took things from The > Temple of God to Babylon > and put them in his royal palace. > > 8 The rest of the history of Jehoiakim, the outrageous sacrilege he > committed and what happened to > him as a consequence, is all written in the Royal Annals of the Kings of > Israel and Judah. > > Jehoiachin his son became the next king. > > King Jehoiachin > 9-10 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king. But he ruled > for only three months and > ten days in Jerusalem. In God's opinion he was an evil king. In the spring > King Nebuchadnezzar > ordered him brought to Babylon along with the valuables remaining in The > Temple of God. Then he made > his uncle Zedekiah a puppet king over Judah and Jerusalem. > King Zedekiah > 11-13 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he started out as king. He > was king in Jerusalem for > eleven years. As far as God was concerned, he was just one more evil king; > there wasn't a trace of > contrition in him when the prophet Jeremiah preached God's word to him. > Then he compounded his > troubles by rebelling against King Nebuchadnezzar, who earlier had made > him swear in God's name that > he would be loyal. He became set in his own stubborn ways-he never gave > God a thought; repentance > never entered his mind. > 14 The evil mindset spread to the leaders and priests and filtered down to > the people-it kicked off > an epidemic of evil, repeating the abominations of the pagans and > polluting The Temple of God so > recently consecrated in Jerusalem. > > 15-17 God, the God of their ancestors, repeatedly sent warning messages to > them. Out of compassion > for both his people and his Temple he wanted to give them every chance > possible. But they wouldn't > listen; they poked fun at God's messengers, despised the message itself, > and in general treated the > prophets like idiots. God became more and more angry until there was no > turning back-God called in > Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who came and killed indiscriminately-and > right in The Temple itself; > it was a ruthless massacre: young men and virgins, the elderly and > weak-they were all the same to > him. > > 18-20 And then he plundered The Temple of everything valuable, cleaned it > out completely; he > emptied the treasuries of The Temple of God, the treasuries of the king > and his officials, and > hauled it all, people and possessions, off to Babylon. He burned The > Temple of God to the ground, > knocked down the wall of Jerusalem, and set fire to all the > buildings-everything valuable was burned > up. Any survivor was taken prisoner into exile in Babylon and made a slave > to Nebuchadnezzar and his > family. The exile and slavery lasted until the kingdom of Persia took > over. > > 21 This is exactly the message of God that Jeremiah had preached: the > desolate land put to an > extended sabbath rest, a seventy-year Sabbath rest making up for all the > unkept Sabbaths. > > King Cyrus > 22-23 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia-this fulfilled the message > of God preached by > Jeremiah-God moved Cyrus king of Persia to make an official announcement > throughout his kingdom; he > wrote it out as follows: "From Cyrus king of Persia a proclamation: God, > the God of the heavens, has > given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has also assigned me to build > him a Temple of worship at > Jerusalem in Judah. All who belong to God's people are urged to return-and > may your God be with you! > Move forward!" > > > > > > > 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
