172 - So much more with His Spirit

The Miracle at the Grave of Elisha by Jan Nagel 1602

Chareen's Thoughts

• Jehoash visited Elisha on his death bed.  Elisha tells him to shoot the arrow of deliverance.  
• Elisha died and was buried. Once a man was thrown into Elisha's tomb and when he touched Elisha's bones the man revived and stood up.
• But he did not slay their children; he did as it is written in the Law, in the Book of Moses, where the Lord commanded, The fathers shall not die for the children, or the children die for the fathers; but every man shall die for his own sin. 2 Chronicles 25:4
• More good and bad kings for Israel and Judah. History repeating itself. Jehoahaz, Hazael, Amaziah, Uzziah(Azariah), Jeroboam,

Amazing to think that the power of God was so strong upon Elisha that even after his death people were raised from the death.  How much more do we have being anointed with the Holy Spirit?  And if the Spirit of Him Who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, [then] He Who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also restore to life your mortal (short-lived, perishable) bodies through His Spirit Who dwells in you. Romans 8:11

Blessings
Chareen

171 - Joel's Prophecy

The Prophet Zehariah

Kathleen's thoughts

Joel 2: 1-32, 3: 1-21 Joel's prophecy.

2 Chronicles 24: 15-24
2 Kings 12: 17-18, 13: 8-11These are Jehoiada's death, Prices backslide, Joash bribes Hazael, Jehoahaz's death, Jehoash's evil life, Zechariah slain, Judah defeated, Joash slain.


I so enjoyed today's reading...It was about the prophecy of judgment, exhortation to repent, results of repentance, the great promise, Nations judged & Judah's restoration. 
I will refer to some of the scriptures here from

Joel 2: 28 I will pour out My Spirit on all humanity; then your sons and your daughters will prophecy, your old men will have dreasms and your young men will see visions.

Joel 3: 1. Yes, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem. I will gather all the nations and take them to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. I will enter into judgment with them there because of My people, My inheritance Israel. The nations have scattered the Israelites in foreign countries and divided up My land.12 Let the nations be roused and come to the valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit down to judge all the surrounding nations.
This tells me don't harm Israel they my chosen people, Nations, you will be judged accordingly to God's word and promise.


Joel 3: 16 The Lord will roar from Zion and raise His voice from Jerusalem, heaven and earth will shake But the Lord will be a refuge for His people. a stronghold for the Israelites.

Refer back to 2 Kings 14: 25-28 & 2 Chronicles 12: 9
So King Shishak of Egypt went to war against Jerusalem. He seized the treasuries of the Lord's temple and the treasuries of the Royal palace. He took everything. He took the gold shields that Solomon had made.
 Now in Joel's prophecy it says this about the treasuries from the Holy temple.
Joel 3:4-5 And also; Tyre, Sidon, and all the territories of Philistia - what are you to Me? Are you paying Me back or trying to get even with Me? I will quickly bring retribution on your heads. For you took My silver and gold and carried My finest treasures to your temples.


This is proof God does not sleep - revenge is mine sayeth the Lord.


Joel 2: 12 Then everyone who calls on the name of Yahweh will be saved, for there will be an escape for those on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem as the Lord Promised among the survivors the Lord calls.


Have a blessed day friends
Kathleen.

171 - Walk in the council of the Godly.

The Prophet Zehariah

Chareen's Thoughts

• Joel announces God's judgements.
• Joel 2 is so much the same as the predictions in Revelations. (Rev. 9:7, 9. Rev. 9:2-4; 16:14.)
• Therefore also now, says the Lord, turn and keep on coming to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning [until every hindrance is removed and the broken fellowship is restored]. 13 Rend your hearts and not your garments and return to the Lord, your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in loving-kindness; and He revokes His sentence of evil [when His conditions are met]. Joel 2:12-13 
• Joel prays for the Lords mercy and exhorts the people to repentance.
• The result of repentance is seeing the LORD's hand of blessing upon what is HIS.
• 25 And I will restore or replace for you the years that the locust has eaten—the hopping locust, the stripping locust, and the crawling locust, My great army which I sent among you. 26 And you shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord, your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you. And My people shall never be put to shame. Joel 2:25-26
• And afterward I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. Joel 2:28
• And whoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered and saved, for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the remnant [of survivors] shall be those whom the Lord calls.  Joel 2:32 
• Joel's prophecy continues to include the Lord's blessing upon Israel and judgement upon those who were against her. He promises to restore Judah.
• Jehoiada died at the age of 130. He was buried with the kings in the city of David because he had done what was good.
• After this the kings from around about came and paid homage to the king of Judah and he turned his ear to them and abandoned the temple.  Yet [God] sent prophets to them to bring them again to the Lord; these testified against them, but they would not listen. 2 Chronicles 24:17-19
• King Joash took the things from the Lords temple and handed them over to Hazael and the people start to worship the idols.  The Lord took control of Zechariah son of Jehoiada and warned them.  But they conspired at the kings command and stoned him to death.
• Zechariah asked the LORD for an account on this act.  The result is that Judah is defeated by Aramean and Joash is slain by his servants.  He was burried in the city of David but not with the Kings because of what he had done to the son of Jehoiada.

The story of Joash certainly highlights the need for surrounding oneself with wise council. He was an amazing and godly king when under the guidance of the Lord's anointed but once he left their council he soon walked astray and Judah suffered for it.

Blessings
Chareen

170 - Joash's godly reigns

Source

Kathleen's thoughts.

2 Kings 11: 17-20 2 Chronicles 23: 16-21 Revival under Jehoiada

2 Chronicles 24: 3 Jehoiada acquired two wives for him, and he was the father of sons and daughters

2 Kings 10: 34-36 Jehu's death  Jehu rested with his fathers, and he was buried in Samaria. His son Jehoahaz became king in his place. Jehu reigned over Israel for 28 years.

2 Chronicles 24: 4-7, 2 Kings 12: 4-8 Faithless priests. Joash took it to heart to renovate the Lords temple and told the priests what to do by collecting money from all Israel to repair the temple of your God as need year by year, and do it quickly. However the Levites did not hurry. The King asked Jehoiada the high priest and he said. But by the 23rd year of the reign of King Joash the priest had not repaired the damage to the temple. In the end they decided not to take money from the people and would not repair the temple's damage.

2 Kings 13: 1-2 Jehoahaz In the twenty-third year of Judah's King Joash son of Ahaziah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king over Israel in Samaria He reigned 17years. He did what was evil in the Lord's eyes. and followed the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.

2 Kings 13: 3-7, 22 Hazael king of Aram oppressed Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz.

2 Kings 12: 9-16 2 Chronicles 24: 8-14 Joash repairs the Temple.

Joel 1: 1-20 Plague of insects. Destroys the land and famine prevails.




God is telling us to wake up and take note of what is going on around you. Watch what the locusts are doing to our land and families today.  The day and the hour is drawing near make sure you ready for the bridegroom your oil lamps are burning and don't run out of oil for them.

Blessings
Kathleen.

170 - The Temple Repaired

King Joash repairs the temple.
Source

Chareen's Thoughts

• Jehoiada was the priest in Jerusalem.  He made a covenant between the LORD, the king and the people.  At this the people tore down the temples of Baal and killed the priests of Baal.  
• King Joash was seven years old when he became the king and he did what was right in the LORD's sight throughout the time of Jehoiada instructed him.
• Joash instructed the priests to collect the taxes instructed by Moses to maintain and repair the temple.  The priests however did not do it so he called Jehoiada in and enquired why it was not done.
• Jehoahaz became king of Israel and did evil before the Lord who handed him over to Hazael king of Aram. They were oppressed and Jehoahaz saught the Lord who then released them from their oppression.
• By the 23 year of King Joash's reign the priests still had not repaired the temple so Joash took the responsibility and repaired it.  He placed a box at the altar to collect money for it's repair and used that to pay for it.
• Moreover, they did not require an accounting from the men into whose hands they delivered the money to be paid to the workmen, for they dealt faithfully. 2 Kings 12:15 can you imagine that in today's society ?
• Once the repairs were complete the money left over was used to make articles for the LORD's temple. Articles required to make offerings.
• Today we are introduced to the book of Joel.  His opening words are about a plague of locusts.

I was astonished to read that the priests of the land were given the instruction to fix the temple and for 23 years did nothing.  It took the king's hand to make it happen.  I was also impressed with the fact that no accounting was needed because the men worked in integrity.
This made me think about my own personal integrity and do I walk in it ?

Joash placed a collection box near the altar.  The end of today's reading refers to this verse which I somehow missed in my earlier readings. Deuteronomy 16:16-17   16 ... They shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed: 17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you.
I know this verse is speaking about the males appearing before the Lord but as I read it I was struck about the principle behind this.  What are your thougths.
Blessings
Chareen