Judgment on King Ahab and Jezebel

 Judgment on the House of Ahab

 Book of 2 Kings

 There are many disagreements in the many denominations of the Church about the "Judgment of God," but we are all united in the belief that there will be a final "Judgment".

 Death is a reality for every member of the human race.

 Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

 We should understand that this Scripture refers to the physical death of the body, but not the soul.

 The soul can be described as the life-principle of a human being, and the life-principle of every human will live on after the death of the body.

 The Lord Jesus says this about the soul: Mat 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

 The soul can be said to be the immaterial nature of every human!

 The soul can only be seen by God, who gave it!

Sometimes, the real me on the inside of this sack of flesh will be looking out, and I will want to do something, but I cannot get this flesh to cooperate. It gets worse as I get older.

 At death, the soul and the body will separate: Jas 2:26 "For as the body without the spirit is dead", so faith without works is dead also.

 With the body now dead, it is the soul that will face the judgment of God, as our verse in the Book of Hebrews says.

 No one is exempt from this death. Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

 We must be very clear that because Jehovah is holy, He must judge all that is unholy, or He would no longer be holy Himself!

 "Judgment" is an expression of God's character!

 Today, we will see that many will face God's "Judgement" as they die because they are evil and wicked, and they have refused to repent of that wickedness.

 We have already spoken some on the judgment of King Ahab and his wife Jezebel, but today we will see it as it takes place in the Scriptures.

 It was the Prophet Elijah who first informed King Ahab about how his life would end in judgment.

 We know that God had already judged Lucifer and the fallen angels, and the things written in the Scriptures will take place as they are written.

 We know that God judged the people on this earth with the worldwide flood in the days of Noah.

 God judged the people at the Tower of Babel.

 God judged the people of the Northern Kingdom, as we have been studying.

 God also judged the Southern Kingdom.

 We know that the wrath of God will be revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness!

The Book of Revelation gives us the horrible details of this "Judgement".

 Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

Rom 1:19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

 As the Son of God, our Lord Jesus has the authority to render judgment when He returns, and He will only do this after He has removed His Church from this earth.

 Joh 5:27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

Joh 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,

Joh 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

 It would be Jehu who would be the hand of God's judgment upon King Ahab and his wife Jezebel.

We will see that Jehu went farther than the Lord intended and in ways that were not intended.

 *****2Ki 9:1 And Elisha the prophet called one of the children of the prophets, and said unto him, Gird up thy loins, and take this box of oil in thine hand, and go to Ramothgilead:

2Ki 9:2 And when thou comest thither, look out there Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, and go in, and make him arise up from among his brethren, and carry him to an inner chamber;

2Ki 9:3 Then take the box of oil, and pour it on his head, and say, Thus saith the LORD, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then open the door, and flee, and tarry not.

2Ki 9:4 So the young man, even the young man the prophet, went to Ramothgilead.

2Ki 9:5 And when he came, behold, the captains of the host were sitting; and he said, I have an errand to thee, O captain. And Jehu said, Unto which of all us? And he said, To thee, O captain.

 Once Jehu was known to be the next King of the Northern Tribes of Israel, he had to move fast because he would be charged with high treason.

 Jehu was commanded by Jehovah to put a stop to the House of Ahab and being obedient to God and upon the right principles, he did not have to worry about opposition.

 What did the Lord actually say?

 1Ki 19:17 And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.

1Ki 19:18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.

 What had God said to Ahab?

 1Ki 21:21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel,

1Ki 21:22 And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin.

1Ki 21:23 And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.

1Ki 21:24 Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat.

 This was Ahab's last chance to repent. We know that Ahab did repent at least a little and Jehovah allowed him to die in a war with Syria "before his family came to judgment", but the words of God's prophet still held.

 1Ki 22:37 So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.

1Ki 22:38 And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armour; according unto the word of the LORD which he spake.

 *****2Ki 9:6 And he arose, and went into the house; and he poured the oil on his head, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of the LORD, even over Israel.

2Ki 9:7 And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel.

2Ki 9:8 For the whole house of Ahab shall perish: and I will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel:

2Ki 9:9 And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah:

2Ki 9:10 And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her. And he opened the door, and fled.

 It was Elijah who had received the order from Jehovah to anoint Jehu as the new King of the Northern Tribes of Israel.

 Elijah anointed Elisha to replace him as a Prophet of God, and it was Elisha who anointed Hazael as King of Syria. Now, Elisha sent another prophet to anoint Jehu as the new king.

 God had allowed King Ahab to reign until his death.

 1Ki 21:27 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.

1Ki 21:28 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

1Ki 21:29 Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.

 Once King Ahab had died, Jehovah fulfilled the promise He had made.

 1Ki 21:21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel,

1Ki 21:22 And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin.

 The person Elisha chose to anoint Jehu as king was to do three things.

 Jehu was one of the captains of the Army of King Ahab and may have been the lead captain.

 1) This prophet was to take Jehu into an inner room and privately anoint him out of sight of everyone else.

2) He was to declare that it was Jehovah who had appointed him king over Israel.

3) He was to flee the scene as quickly as he could.

 For someone to declare themselves to be king would be considered high treason to the existing government.

 This is the thing that the Jews used to have the Lord Jesus crucified.

 Jehu was chosen specifically to execute justice on the house of Ahab.

 This was because Ahab had allowed Jezebel to slaughter the people of God and God's prophets.

 Jehu was to kill all the descendants of Ahab and Jezebel.

 God had said this same thing would happen to other kings of Israel.

 Jezebel's ending would be just as God had described.

 2Ki 9:10 And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her.

 The army of King Ahab became the army of King Jehu.

 Jehu was appointed to be a just ruler to execute justice.

There is a big difference between justice and murder!

 It is the same for every ruler that God allows to rule today.

 They are in place to execute justice, and they will be held accountable to God for how they do this!

 Executing justice does not always mean murder, which is a sin!

 However, how any ruler executes justice to their people will determine how Jehovah will execute justice to them!

 Whatever they sow, they will reap!

 The Lord Jesus Christ will execute perfect justice when He returns!

 2Ch 19:6 And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the LORD, who is with you in the judgment.

2Ch 19:7 Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.

 Mat 7:2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

 Joram, a son of Ahab, was now ruler of Israel, and Ahaziah was King of Judah, and they were both together.

 Because Athaliah was the daughter of Jezebel and the mother of Ahaziah, Joram, King of Israel, was the uncle to Ahaziah, the King of Judah.

 *****2Ki 9:21 And Joram said, Make ready. And his chariot was made ready. And Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot, and they went out against Jehu, and met him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite.

2Ki 9:22 And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?

2Ki 9:23 And Joram turned his hands, and fled, and said to Ahaziah, There is treachery, O Ahaziah.

 The uncle and his nephew went out to meet Jehu.

 As only God can manage, these men met at the portion of land that had been taken from Naboth.

 If we do not believe in the providence of God, then we will never understand the Word of God.

 In reality, Jehu carried out a bloody slaughter throughout Israel.

 Did Jehovah command this to happen, or did He just warn King Ahab that this was going to happen?

 God will always allow us to repent.

 God will tell us what will happen if we refuse to repent.

 Hos 1:4 And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.

Hos 1:5 And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.

 We can see that the military of King Ahab did not think too highly of Jezebel.

 Joram was just like his mother, and Ahaziah was just like his mother Athaliah, the daughter of Jezebel.

 *****2Ki 9:24 And Jehu drew a bow with his full strength, and smote Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sunk down in his chariot.

2Ki 9:25 Then said Jehu to Bidkar his captain, Take up, and cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite: for remember how that, when I and thou rode together after Ahab his father, the LORD laid this burden upon him;

2Ki 9:26 Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, saith the LORD; and I will requite thee in this plat, saith the LORD. Now therefore take and cast him into the plat of ground, according to the word of the LORD.

2Ki 9:27 But when Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of the garden house. And Jehu followed after him, and said, Smite him also in the chariot. And they did so at the going up to Gur, which is by Ibleam. And he fled to Megiddo, and died there.

 There are over fifty-two verses of Scripture that describe the slaughter of Jehu, so it must be important that we understand what God is saying here.

 Jehu took out King Joram with one shot of an arrow through his heart, and his body was cast into the field once owned by Naboth where the birds would eat him.

 It is Verse 26 that tells that the sons of Naboth were also slaughtered by King Ahab and Jezebel.

 Now Jehu turns his attention to King Ahaziah of Judah, best described in the Book of 2 Chronicles:

 2Ch 22:7 And the destruction of Ahaziah was of God by coming to Joram: for when he was come, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.

2Ch 22:8 And it came to pass, that, when Jehu was executing judgment upon the house of Ahab, and found the princes of Judah, and the sons of the brethren of Ahaziah, that ministered to Ahaziah, he slew them.

2Ch 22:9 And he sought Ahaziah: and they caught him, (for he was hid in Samaria,) and brought him to Jehu: and when they had slain him, they buried him: Because, said they, he is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart. So the house of Ahaziah had no power to keep still the kingdom.

 The death of Ahaziah and his sons left Judah without a king, and this is when Athaliah took it upon herself to become Queen of Judah by her treachery. She murdered her own children and grandchildren.

 2Ch 22:10 But when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal of the house of Judah.

 Only one son had survived, who was Joash, who continued the promise made to King David.

 2Ch 22:11 But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons that were slain, and put him and his nurse in a bedchamber. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of king Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest, (for she was the sister of Ahaziah,) hid him from Athaliah, so that she slew him not.

2Ch 22:12 And he was with them hid in the house of God six years: and Athaliah reigned over the land.

 Jehu decided it was time to take care of Jezebel.

 *****2Ki 9:30 And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window.

 A tire was a headdress, an ornament for the head, generally of gold or precious stones, a tiara.

 Jezebel was old by this time, but made herself look like royalty in an attempt to impress Jehu.

 She had been the cause of the death of many prophets of God.

 *****2Ki 9:31 And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master?

2Ki 9:32 And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is on my side? who? And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs.

2Ki 9:33 And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down: and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses: and he trode her under foot.

2Ki 9:34 And when he was come in, he did eat and drink, and said, Go, see now this cursed woman, and bury her: for she is a king's daughter.

2Ki 9:35 And they went to bury her: but they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands.

2Ki 9:36 Wherefore they came again, and told him. And he said, This is the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel:

2Ki 9:37 And the carcase of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel; so that they shall not say, This is Jezebel.

 The end of Jezebel was just as Jehovah had said.

 Her blood had splattered everywhere, she was trampled, and the dogs had eaten her until nothing but her skull, her hands, and her feet were left.

She would be as dung as her remains passed from the dogs in the nearby fields of Jezreel.

 She was buried in an unmarked grave, and no one mourned for this wicked woman.

 It was then that Jehu turned his attention to the seventy sons of King Ahab.

 The Scripture says seventy sons, but it may mean sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons.

 *****2Ki 10:10 Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spake concerning the house of Ahab: for the LORD hath done that which he spake by his servant Elijah.

2Ki 10:11  So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his kinsfolks, and his priests, until he left him none remaining. 

 Jehu may have considered himself to be the arm of God, but in reality, we know that God does not need our help for His Word to be True!

 Zec 1:6 But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

 Mar 13:31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

 Jehu wrote a letter to the officials of Samaria and Jezreel, telling them to choose the closest relative of King Ahab and make him king of Israel and to prepare for war.

 This only terrified these officials, who were afraid to confront Jehu.

 Since they had switched their allegiance to Jehu, Jehu wrote another letter demanding that they execute justice against the seventy sons of King Ahab for treason.

 They were to bring the heads of these seventy sons to Jezreel the very next day.

 The word of Jehu was honored.

 Jehu made out that he was on a special mission for Jehovah to remove any blame for himself seeking the sympathy of the people.

 Jehu was not a godly man.

 *****2Ki 10:31 But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin.

 He was just like Jeroboam.

 King Jehu went beyond the justice that God had intended, and he became a murderer.

 God wanted justice throughout the Northern Tribes of Israel and not just the elimination of one family, though God knew what Jehu would do.

 To murder is a terrible sin because it takes the life of a person out of this world.

 The hearts of many who are left behind also suffer much pain and grief, and in many cases hardship, because it was the male who was the breadwinner on that day, while the wife took care of the children.

 Jehu caused a terrible number of single-parent families.

 God never instructs His children to murder. God still says that they will suffer the consequences of this evil.

 For the wages of sin is death!

 Amen

Praise God For His Justice

Praise God For His Justice

Psalms 73


What is justice?

Justice means rendering to every one that which is his due!

Justice means doing what the law demands!

Justice differs from equity in that equity is the impartial distribution of justice.

God says:

Psa 98:9 Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.

Our God is not a tyrant but neither is He a weakling, when He comes to judge this world His actions will be the exact right thing to do.

The justice of God is just as real and certain as His mercy and is as much a fact as our salvation is true!

Let's begin!

*****Psa 73:1 A Psalm of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.

Asaph was one of the leaders of the choir who was appointed by David and put in place by Solomon in the new Temple.

There are 12 Psalms attributed to Asaph.

Asaph was also a skilled musician and not many realize it but Asaph was also a "seer", a prophet called of God.

2Ch 29:30 Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the LORD with the words of David, and of "Asaph the seer". And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped.

Asaph could see into the future and Asaph prophesied with his music.

What is the truth of God's prophets?

Each prophet was to proclaim the message given to him of God!

Each prophet spoke in God's name and by God's authority and thus their words must thus be true.

Asaph begins with "Truly God is good to Israel".

It can never be said that Jehovah God has not been and will always be good to His covenant people Israel!

Who are the true Israel?

Rom 9:6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
Rom 9:7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
Rom 9:8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

Here we see that of all the children of Abraham it is only Isaac, the only son by Sarah, that is the Father of Israel.

These are the children of the the promises of God!

The true Israel is not those that ceremonially clean but all those that have been cleaned in their inward parts.

We must know that we will never understand the things of God until we spend some time in His Word!

Asaph was led of God to sing the songs of prophesy but even Asaph had doubts sometimes just as we all do!

*****Psa 73:2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.

No matter who we are, our faith will waver from time to time.

It will sometimes seem to be a great burden to walk in the ways of God.

We will sometimes stagger at the weight of being obedient to the Word of God.

The Lord is surely good and we know He is our example but there will be days when we cannot see how we will ever meet such a high standard as God has set before us.

What is the greatest cause of these things? Envy of the things we see in this world!

*****Psa 73:3 For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Envy can described as being discontent. Asaph was discontent because he was focused on those he considered superior to him, the wicked rich and prosperous.

There is not one way that a lost soul is superior to a saved soul!

All those that reject the Word of God are fools!

When we become envious of fools we are even more foolish!

But sometimes when we see the prosperity of these wicked people it's hard not to be envious of them.

When we forget that we will inherit the vast riches of Heaven and become envious of the things in this world we just do not have our priorities in order.

When we become fixed on the present and forget the future of those that reject the Lord Jesus it will affect our faith and we will then become miserable Christians.

There is nothing in this world we should desire greater than our relationship with the Lord!

*****Psa 73:4 For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm.
Psa 73:5 They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.

Death is a reality for every member of the human race but the Bible teaches us that the soul cannot die.

It is the Christian that should come to death with a peace that cannot be understood but that is not always the case.

But a quiet death also does not always mean a happy hereafter.

What Asaph saw was that most of the rich wicked people on this earth do not have a great concern for their death and the hereafter.

What Asaph saw was that those that were rich but wicked could afford the best doctors and the best medicine and in most cases could live a healthy life and by these same means they could slip into a painless death.

God says:

Pro 31:6 Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.
Pro 31:7 Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.
Pro 31:8 Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.

Many of the rich die as well as they live but they will still miss out on Heaven.

It is a fact that if you are a Christian you will face many tribulations before you can enter into the Kingdom of Heaven!

The truth is, let them have what they can get in this world for that's all they will ever have without Christ Jesus!

*****Psa 73:6 Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment.

Pride is unreasonable conceit!

Conceit is a high opinion of your own self above all others.

God says:

Pro 26:12 Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

Pride is the sin of Satan and all those that think they are too good to yield to the Word of God!

Those that are so full of pride, wear their pride better than anything that money can buy.

In their boastful arrogance they wear the garments of evil and they are proud of it!

We have to be blind to see that our own nation is failing because those in control are so full of self pride that they think they know best what is good for everyone else.

Only the ones who know the Lord Jesus Christ on a personal level can know what is good for them, not any government!

Asaph saw these same things it was testing his faith.

*****Psa 73:7 Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish.

Those that are rich are usually fat with the things that money can buy but their eyes are always searching for something they do not have.

But those same eyes convey an attitude of arrogance and fierceness for all those considered to be a lower class of people.

If they had all the world, they would still be searching for something else because their prideful lust cannot be satisfied.

They are evil continually!

*****Psa 73:8 They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.

In the Bible times those that were buried were said not to be corrupt until the 4th day. Here we see that those that are rich and wicked are corrupt, their flesh is rotting away, before they die a physical death.

Oppression is the act of imposing unreasonable burdens on others, such as taxes, or services, and even cruelty.

They not only defend their ways, they insist on them, as the way things should be.

They speak as if they were sitting on the judges bench and they expect all the world to stand in awe of them!

I cannot help but think about what is going on in Washington, DC as I study these passages.

*****Psa 73:9 They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.

With such pride and arrogance they defy Jehovah God and relate Him as just another false religion that are the true troublemakers in this world.

They make themselves the gods of this world and speak down on the ordinary man!

They overcome every obstacle to find victims they can slander and abuse.

They believe that no one and no thing is out of their reach.

They believe they can say anything at anytime and their words will be as they come from God and should be accepted.

What did God ask Satan?

Job 1:7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

The wicked rich men of this world carry with them all the traits of Satan.

*****Psa 73:10 Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.

Because of all these things God's people return to Him over and over again complaining that the wicked evil prosper while God's people suffer persecution and some of it is terrible.

They become full of doubt, and confused, thinking that God just does not care and they fall into the same snares of Satan over and over again.

David wrote in the 23 Psalm these words:

Psa 23:5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; "my cup runneth over".

Here in this verse we see that our cup that was running over with the joy of salvation has now now been wrung out and contain no joy at all.

Paul wrote to Timothy these words:

1Ti 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, "they have erred from the faith", and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

We see that when we earnestly desire the things of this world we will begin to doubt our faith.

Sorrow is uneasiness or the pain in our minds but this pain in our minds will penetrate deep into our being and interfere with our walk with God.

And how do the ungodly respond in our weakness?

*****Psa 73:11 And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?
Psa 73:12 Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.
Psa 73:13 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.

Those that reject the truth of God will say even if there is a God, He is not concerned with what is going on in this world.

They will flatter themselves thinking that what they are doing is not observed from Heaven.

They will say even if there be a God, He does not deal with us on a personal level.

They will just say how can God know all these things.

And all those that desire those same riches will get caught up in this foolishness.

This is one of the greatest stumbling blocks of true faith!

The ungodly seem to prosper while the godly suffer.

These who have no respect for other human beings and deserve to be chased out of this world become the owners of most of the world and no matter the laws, or who sits as ruler, they increase in riches.

It has amazed me in America that not only have the rich gotten richer and the poor gotten poorer but those that have always been in the middle are now come under full attack of the rich.

There is no transfer of wealth of the rich to the poor, there is only a transfer of wealth from the middle to the rich and all but them become poor.

We are so easily deceived by the work of Satan!

Poor Asaph questions the value of holiness and his own salvation just as many others have throughout all generations.

Asaph was a prophet of God yet he too fell into this same snare of the Devil.

Who are we to think we cannot fall into this same trap?

Asaph had kept his walk with the Lord as pure as he had his inner being but he was full of doubt at this time of the rewards of his salvation, saying how can these things be true?

*****Psa 73:14 For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.

When we are struggling with our salvation, we will find that God may be working on us the most.

It will seem that the more effort we put into living a holy life, the more we are being tested in our faith.

What is the truth?

1Pe 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
1Pe 1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
1Pe 1:9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

The trials of our faith are precious to the Lord.

We all know that a faith that cannot be tested cannot be trusted!

There is not a day that goes by that the Christian is not on God's training ground and we must accept that God knows what He is doing in our lives!

It is always best to accept what God is doing is best for us and keep our own personal thoughts between us and our God.

*****Psa 73:15 If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.
Psa 73:16 When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;

It is not always wise to speak one's thoughts to other believers.

Jas 3:14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
Jas 3:15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
Jas 3:16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

We must always look at the consequences of our speech to others especially to those of the Church!

1Co 8:12 But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.

Asaph decided to bridle his tongue and this is the same thing we should all do.

The thoughts of causing harm to our family of God should over come any desire to say anything that could cause problems with our Church family.

We really have only one answer to all life's problems, we must take them to the Lord!

*****Psa 73:17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.

The solution to these problems and all others that can interfere with our relationship with the Lord can only be found in the presence of God!

God is righteous but also merciful!

God is holy but also forgiving!

We must change our point of view, away from the things of this world, to the things of the glory world!

The solution to these things is not in our present world.

Our solution comes by the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the New World to come!

Hell awaits the ungodly, while Heaven awaits all those that God has redeemed through the blood of His Son!

When we understand the end of all the ungodly and wicked people on this earth, we will not desire the things they have on this earth that will only lead to their own destruction!

It is at the house of God where we can hear the preaching of the truth.

It is at the house of God where we can join others in the study of God's Word.

It is at the house of God where we can fellowship with others who are going through or have already gone through the things that seem to cause us the most problems.

It is at the house of God where we can learn the joy of the Lord.

The end for the saints of God is peace, rest, and salvation.

The end of the wicked is ruin, destruction, and death!

What did Jesus say to the rich man?

Luk 12:20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
Luk 12:21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

When we open our eyes to the truth of God we will see the future of all those that reject the Lord Jesus Christ and we will not want any part of the things that they think they possess!

The Bible says "to be not envious of evil men nor desire to be with them".

The feet of the evil are on slippery ground.

*****Psa 73:18 Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.

What did Asaph realize?

It is God who sits on the throne. Those that are rich, prosperous and powerful did not get that way by accident. God had made these arrangements.

These things from God were not intended to bless these wicked people.

God pointed out that no man can stand on his own without God and the higher they are the more dangerous the places of riches and honor.

It can be treacherous feeling standing on slippery ground.

It is God that set them up and it is God that will bring them down unless they find the will of God for their lives just like all others.

Many of them end in temporary destruction on this earth and everlasting destruction from where there is no escape.

*****Psa 73:19 How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.
Psa 73:20 As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.

Many rich and powerful people fall suddenly!

The destruction of Pharaoh came suddenly in the midst of the Red Sea.

The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah came suddenly.

The destruction Korah came suddenly as the earth opened up and engulfed them.

And that destruction was not only came suddenly but that destruction was full of terror.

Pharaoh felt the terror of drowning.

The people of Sodom and Gomorrah were fleeing from the heat of the flame.

The family of Korah felt the terror of falling into the bottomless pit.

All those that forget they owe their existence to the Living God will see all their possessions taken away from them or just given to someone else.

Their life will seem as dream turned into a nightmare.

When the Lord returns to judge this world, it will not be a pleasant day for those that have rejected His Word.

It is in the wisdom of the Lord that lies true riches.

Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

*****Psa 73:22 So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.
Psa 73:23 Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.

When we finally awaken to the truth of God it is like a light bulb goes off in our brains and we will realize how foolish we really are.

Not just foolish but truly stupid to envy those that are on such a path of destruction.

Knowing what God says will change the way we think.

Remember to repent is not just saying I'm sorry.

Repenting is not just changing our direction from the ways of the world to the ways of God.

Repenting is also a complete change in the way we think of sin!

Animals do not have the ability to see the errors of their way and change but God's people are not and never have been any part of the animal world!

Animals cannot ask for forgiveness.

Envy is a terrible sin that must be confessed before the Lord and yes, we will be forgiven!

Our sin nature places us just barely above the animal world but our faith places us in close proximity to the Lord.

It is the Lord that holds our hand even when we are on the slippery slopes of this world.

Asaph had come close to falling into this snare of the Devil but it was the Word of God and the sanctuary of God that had awakened him to the truth.

*****Psa 73:24 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.

We must be done with choosing our own way.

We do not possess the knowledge to pick our own path in this sinful world.

We must ask to be led by the Lord and we must then follow obediently.

When we pray that sinners prayer we are asking to Lord to take control of our lives.

The Lord will then awaken us to His Word which will show us the correct path to follow.

It is our willingness to obey the Word of God and listen to The Holy Spirit that will guide us through sanctification in our walk with the Lord and the end result is "glorification".

1Pe 1:4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
1Pe 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

*****Psa 73:25 Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.

When we are able to turn away from the glitter of this world and turn toward God we can focus on true riches that are everlasting.

In Heaven we have God the Father, who will keep all His covenants.

In Heaven we have God the Son, our Mediator, our Savior, and our Redeemer and our Intercessor.

In Heaven we have God the Holy Spirit who is our Comforter who has sealed us until we get to Heaven.

There is nothing on this earth that can compare to the things in Heaven.

Isa 64:4 For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.

*****Psa 73:26 My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

This world we live in will cause our heart to fail.

This world we live in will cause our flesh to fail.

But when the Lord is our strength we simply cannot fail because the Lord will not allow it!

We need to place all our desires at the feet of the Lord, there is nothing more desirable than to know the Lord.

Friendship with the world will breed envy but the Holy Spirit is more jealous of us than this world we live in and He will not be overcome.

Our God will live forever and He wants us to be with Him forever!

*****Psa 73:27 For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.
Psa 73:28 But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.

God expects a close and personal relationship with Him, so we must be near to God to live. Sin creates distance between us and the Lord.

Our God is a jealous God that requires us to serve Him and Him only!

God sees deep into the heart and will destroy pretenders of the faith along with all unbelievers!

What did Asaph finally realize?

He realized that if he had never doubted the Lord to begin with, he would not be suffering all these things!

The closer we cling to Jesus, the safer we will be in this world we live.

What is the realization of providence of the Lord?

That nothing happens on this earth that our Father in Heaven does not have ultimate control over.

Nothing on this Earth is subject to fate!

God did not create our world and then just go somewhere to leave it operating on it's own!

God is not His own creation!

God is not in a battle between good and evil!

God has no limits and there is nothing that happens on this earth that God has no control over.

Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

One of the greatest verses in the Bible says this:

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

We must accept that God knows what He is doing and our job is to trust Him and tell others how wonderful He truly is!

Questions?

Let's Pray!