July 4
2 Kings 23:31-25:30 | PS 2:1-12 | Prov 18:13 | Acts 22:17-23:10
As we move through the pages of biblical history you can't miss the glaring fact that most of those in authority, both religious, such as the high priests, and the various kings got it wrong. They either missed the signs, misunderstood the prophets, sought power for their own selfish ambition, etc. We read history, but do we learn from it? Through the years until the present we continue to place our hope and trust in leaders. People affectionately call their rabbis, "reb" and raise them up. The same holds true with the various popes and priests. There is no shortage of pastor worship among the various denominations. Do we believe these men to be somehow infallible when history states otherwise. Consider the kings of Israel and Judah. Do the leaders of America look that much different? This is not to knock all leaders. Many rule from a position of sincerity and humility. The point is the overwhelming majority of individuals choose, and this is a choice, not to be students of the entirety of Scripture. When this is the case, since one has no knowledge of biblical truth, one is left with simply following the leader, no matter where that leader leads you. If this is what God desired from us, He would not have left us His Word, His perfect Word, written in His sixty-six books of the Bible. Why continue to be led astray when it is completely within your ability to know truth.
Though Josiah was a very good king, his three sons and one grandson who would serve as the final four kings of Judah were not. Each one has a similar statement written about them as in 2 Kings 23:32, "And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done." I'm sure they did some good things, but that is not how the Lord saw them, and the people who chose to follow them suffered greatly as a result of listening to them, rather than the prophets who were warning them (Jeremiah and Ezekiel were prominent at this time). Concerning the religious leaders, we must not forget Uriah the evil high priest during the reign of Ahaz, along with Phineas and Hophni during the time of the Judges, along with many other in religious leadership who led the people astray. Paul was clearly called by God to lead the people to Jesus Christ, but it was largely the religious leaders, the Sanhedrin, the High Priest at that time that saw to the elimination of Jesus Christ, along with making sure that the Jewish people would follow them and their brand of Rabbinic Judaism rather than following the Messiah, Jesus Christ. We get a glimpse of this in Acts 23:1-2, "Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.” And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth." If the people would have only taken their eyes off of the leaders and actually took the time to seek the Scriptures you could not miss Jesus as the long awaited fulfillment of Messiah ben Joseph, the Suffering Servant, clearly outlined in multiple portions of Scripture (Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, and so many others).
Jesus said in John 8:31-32, "Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Each of us has a choice, we can follow the truth of the Word of God and gain clarity, or follow a person or a movement which will always have individuals who might lead you astray, even if not intentionally. When Jesus died for our sins on the Cross at Calvary, we read in Matthew 27:51, that the veil was torn in two, which signified that we no longer required an earthly intermediary to come before God, we now have direct access to the Father through the Son. Please understand, for those who do deep dives into devotionals rather than pouring over the actual Word, with a verse or two, followed by the words of some commentator, even those esteemed such as Charles Spurgeon, you are elevating the words of man over the word of God. So why do we still place that veil back up and seek intermediaries. You want to find a good church or synagogue, a good pastor, priest, or rabbi, great. But better than this, much better than this, is to come into a relationship with the perfect Messiah, Jesus Christ, who was and is perfect, who will never change , who will never lead you astray, who will always reveal truth. The choice is yours.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: