Do We Really Understand Apostasy

An Understanding of Apostasy

Book of 1 John Chapter 2 verses 15-29

In last week's lesson we learned about Spiritual growth and in this week’s lesson we will learn why we need that growth.

Whenever the Holy Spirit takes the time to warn us about certain things, then we need to pay attention to what He says.

Reading the Scriptures every day is a wonderful thing and we all should do so, but sometimes we need to put our nose to the grindstone and really study to see what the Lord is saying!

This is one of those places!

When we think about "apostasy" in the church, we are talking about those who are forsaking the Lord Jesus Christ and His teachings.

The Apostle Paul says there will be a "falling away" from Christ!

2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

In the Book to Timothy, Paul says "departing from the faith".

1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

1Ti 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

1Ti 4:3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

Again in the Book to Timothy Paul writes they will not "endure sound doctrine".

2Ti 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

2Ti 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

These are all Scriptures dealing with "Apostasy" and there are many more.

How does the Apostle John teach us about these things? He says:

*****1Jn 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

We cannot experience true victory in Jesus, until we have victory over this world of evil!

This is a world dominated by Satan and we must have victory over Satan and Jesus provides that victory!

Our faith is based upon the invisible things of God's world, which He offers to us.

If we turn around and seek happiness in this world which will one day end, we are forsaking the truth of God!

This world may seem to be a good world, but it is an evil world!

We live in a world where our worthiness is determined by the amount of possessions we own!

Does this mean we cannot appreciate the wonders of God's creation? Absolutely not!

God has provided all the things necessary for us to live a comfortable life and have joy in our lives.

The truth is, the heavens and this earth are just temporary things that are aging and passing away.

We live in a corruptible world, as those with powers use these same elements of the earth to indulge in corruption and sinfulness.

We must not become attached to the things of this world which will be destroyed!

There are no perfect governments on this earth.

There are no perfect societies upon this earth.

Even the church has forgotten to strive for perfection!

We may be loyal to some good things upon this earth, but we must stand against all the bad things of this earth!

Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

Col 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

We may live in this world, but we are not to be friends of this world!

Jas 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

What is the real truth of this world we live in?

*****1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

We can sit upon a mountain top and view the wonders of God's creation and just say how beautiful is God's creation, but when we get back home, we see something for different.

When we look out upon the societies, we see everyone lusting after the things of the flesh.

We see people giving in to the desires of the flesh.

We live in a sack of flesh that will indulge in any sinful behavior if and when it is given that opportunity!

In most cases it begins with the things we see!

The danger of these things is that we desire things that go against the truth of God.

We desire and go after these things to possess that are forbidden by the Word of God.

We may look upon another man's wife with desire and this is the sin of adultery even if it goes no further than that desire!

Mat 6:22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

Mat 6:23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

It may sound unrealistic, but we must make a vow with our eyes!

Job_31:1 I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?

What was the downfall of the great King Solomon?

Ecc 2:10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.

Ecc 2:11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

There is no profit from the things of this world!

Then there is the pride of life.

The pride we have that is centered upon ourselves, goes against the Word of God!

When we believe that we are so special that God will just bend over backwards to accommodate our own desires.

When we believe we can do all things without God we will be sadly mistaken.

There is no future without God!

Mat 12:50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

When we fall into these traps, they become so deep they are hard to climb back out of them.

In fact we will not be able to on our own, we will just pass away with the rest of the world!

*****1Jn 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

There is only one thing that we need to do every day. We need to do the will of God!

We must understand that there is nothing outside the scope of God's sovereign rule!

Our own salvation falls under this rule of God!

2Ti 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

2Ti 1:10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

God does as He pleases and, it pleased God to provide us a means of eternal salvation!

God does not and will not ever adjust His plan to accommodate our will! We must obey His will for us!

But there is the permissive will of God, where God will allow certain things that fall in place with His eternal plan.

The truth is the Lord Jesus Christ died according to the preconceived plan of God for our salvation.

This does not mean that wicked men were not responsible for His death!

God knew there was no other way that we could be brought back in fellowship with Him!

We should stand in awe of our Great God who could conceive such a plan of salvation!

We can entrust our eternal days to our Almighty God!

We should rejoice in our salvation!

We can rest in peace as we observe all the things in this evil world we live in!

God holds people responsible for their sins, at the same time He has a plan of redemption!

Col 1:9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

God proves that He is in total control of this world, but He allows us to make our own choices!

God lets us know that He loves us! It grieves God when we make the wrong choices!

God's will, will abide forever!

Joh 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

Joh 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Joh 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

Joh 10:30 I and my Father are one.

We must also realize that we are in the last of the last days!

*****1Jn 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

There may not be more people who disagree with the doctrine of Jesus Christ, though I believe there are many more.

What we can be sure of in these last days is, that those who do reject Jesus speak with louder voices drowning out the Church because the Church has become so passive!

All the sinful movements move through our nation and others with much fanfare but if something good tries to do the same things then they are forbidden or drowned out because the Church refuses to take a stand and many even endorse this evil!

These loudly proclaim that God could never be a human and so the Scriptures are so full of errors that to believe we can know the actual Word of God makes us a people who border on insanity.

These antichrists broadcast their message freely, on every level!

There are also more antichrists in the church than ever before, and they too loudly proclaim a false doctrine driven by the world giving in to immorality.

John says we are approaching the midnight hour when darkness will assume to rule our world.

The Antichrist could step onto the stage of this world at any moment. He may already be there but hiding in the shadows!

This Antichrist is not the spirit of antichrist that is in our world now, but this will be an actual person.

This Antichrist will rise to be on the stage as a world leader and the world will listen to him because he will speak with the voice of Satan who has transfigured into a spirit of light.

2Co_11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

There are so many today denying the truth of God and the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ, we can be certain that the Second Coming of the Lord is very soon!

What is the truth?

2Th_2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

We are in that day of the great falling away!

*****1Jn 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

Where do antichrist come from? They walk right out of the doors of the church proclaiming they have been misled.

Teachers who proclaim some new doctrine.

Preachers who have mixed the doctrine of evolution with the truth of creation.

Preachers who have allowed the government to dictate the doctrine of the Church.

Churches that have opened the church doors to the world denying the true Christ who is the foundation of the Church!

1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

1Ti 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

1Ti 4:3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

How can we know them?

*****1Jn 2:20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.

1Jn 2:21 I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

That word unction means as believers we have the anointing of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Spirit lives within each of us to guide us and to protect us from false things.

A non-believer or an antichrist cannot have the anointing to the Holy Spirit so they cannot know the truth of doctrines of the Bible!

Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

Joh 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

Joh 14:19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.

Joh 14:20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

Joh 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

The Holy Spirit knows all things about Jesus Christ that we need to know so He will lead us away from the antichrist!

*****1Jn 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.

1Jn 2:23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

We are God the Father's "little children" and we need to be warned!

Those who deny that Jesus is the Messiah are liars!

Those who deny that Jesus is a Person in the Personage of God, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit are all liars!

Those who deny that Jesus was 100% man and 100% God at the same time are all liars!

Those who deny the truth of the Word of God are all liars!

Those who deny that Jesus is God have chosen to believe the Anti-god!

Mat 10:33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

Those who stand against God the Father and His Son are doomed to damnation!

Mat 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

There are really no true Atheists in this world, but the world is full of people who claim some god and the only God is the Lord Jesus Christ!

Mat 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

Mat 10:38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

I think the Holy Spirit answers every question that can be ask about our Savior right here in this passage!

Those who are sure we have a Creator had better know that God the Father sent forth His Son as this Creator and to reject any part of these things is to deny Him!

*****1Jn 2:24 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.

1Jn 2:25 And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.

What we have heard from the Apostles is the "Gospel" of the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is the "Gospel" that has all the answers of life and life eternal!

If we do not know God, how can we ever say we are pleasing to Him.

"And let's just get one thing very straight right now, God is MALE and not female"!

How can there be a "Bride of Christ" if there is not the Groom, God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ?

It is the "Gospel" that must continue in us all our days once He has come into our hearts!

God has given us 66 books all bound up in one and any study of these books will lead you to the Lord Jesus Christ the answer to life, the answer to salvation, the answer to eternal life!

What words best describe the "Gospel"?

1Co 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

1Co 15:2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

1Co 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

1Co 15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

1Co 15:5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:

1Co 15:6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

1Co 15:7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

1Co 15:8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

Gal 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

Gal 1:7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

Gal 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Gal 1:9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

Gal 1:10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

Gal 1:11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.

Gal 1:12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

There is only one "Gospel"!

It is by the "Gospel" that comes eternal life in fellowship with the Almighty God!

As long as we are upon this earth there will be those deny the "Gospel"!

*****1Jn 2:26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.

1Jn 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

John has already taught us that these who would "seduce"(entice, deceive, lead astray) would come from inside the Church.

1Jn 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us;

Those, some inside the church, will teach that there is some other way to restore fellowship with God and this simply is not true.

No one is good enough.

No one is righteous enough.

No one is rich enough.

We must always be on guard against false teaching because there is just too much at stake.

We will never regain fellowship with our Creator if we try some other way than the "Gospel"!

If God the Father, sent God the Son to die for us then, how could we ever believe that there was some other way?

God sent His Son to save mankind, if there had been some other way then there would be no need for the "Gospel"!

God then sent God the Holy Spirit to protect His investment!

Without the anointing of the Holy Spirit to seal our redemption we would still be lost!

Tit 3:4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

Tit_3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

Rom 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

We cannot deny the Triune God and still say we understand the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ!

We are doomed to failure if we do not abide in our Savior!

*****1Jn 2:28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

1Jn 2:29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

What is the greatest test of being a Christian? Do we rest in the truth of the "Gospel"?

Do we dwell with Jesus?

Are we ashamed of Jesus Christ?

Have we made our home with the Lord?

I can openly confess that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior!

I fully believe that God has shown His love for me by Jesus Christ!

I can confess that I love God because He first loved me!

1Jn 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

1Jn 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

1Jn 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

I will have boldness in the Day of Judgment because "I know my name is written down in the Lamb's Book of Life"!

I know the truth of God and this truth has made me free from the penalties of sin!

Joh_8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Joh_8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

I will never be ashamed of my Savior!!!!!

I am at peace with God because He called me to meet His Son!

I have been "Born Again" into the family of God!

Have You?

Amen

Let's Pray!

When Governments Walk In The Ways Of The World

Ahaz: Walking In The Ways Of The World

2 Chronicles 28


We have spent a lot of time on the Northern Tribes of the divided Israel lately but the Southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin also had their problems. King Ahaz of Judah was the most wicked King of Judah!

During the time of King Ahaz, God used the prophets Isaiah, Hosea, and Micah, among others to carry His message so we can be sure King Ahaz knew the warnings of God.

King Ahaz made friends with many of his enemies which brought great injury to his kingdom and even his own humiliation.

Over and over again we have seen as a nation, we must be very careful who we call our friends!

We have only one true friend and that is Israel.

Ahaz begin his rule at the age of 20 but he was dead by the time he reached 36 years old.

He is remembered for bringing even more evil and idolatry into his own nation of Judah.

The greatest thing Ahaz produced was his son Hezekiah!

We can say that King Ahaz walked in the ways of the world!

King Ahaz walked in the ways of the Kings of the Northern Tribes even sacrificing his own in the arms of the fire god Molech. The priests of these false religions were called Chemarim.

Zep 1:4  I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests;
Zep 1:5  And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship and that swear by the LORD, and that swear by Malcham;
Zep 1:6  And them that are turned back from the LORD; and those that have not sought the LORD, nor enquired for him.

If we had a theme for King Ahaz it could be summed up in one Scripture:

2Ch 28:19  For the LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the LORD.

In my opinion the same could be said for our own president!

Let's begin:

*****2Ch 28:1  Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: but he did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD, like David his father:
2Ch 28:2  For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim.

The biggest misconception about the human race is the thought that all people are good but occasionally do bad things when the truth is, we are all bad and occasionally do good things.

People just do no like to think we all have a depraved heart but the truth is the truth, whether we believe it or not!

Jer 17:9  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

And the truth of every human being is that we are all sinners!

Rom 3:10  As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

We all come short of God's glory.

Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

King Ahaz was an utterly wicked and totally depraved human being who also was a king with power to do his own will, or so he thought!

When Ahaz became King of Judah, Judah had reached it's peak in prosperity and was the envy of many nations.

Sounds like the America from a few years back.

But in the 16 years of King Ahaz Judah came to ruins, he bankrupted the economy, he decimated the military, and he brought terrible suffering to the citizens of that nation.

King Ahaz turned loose a stream of wickedness that rushed to do terrible damage to God's people by bringing on Judgment by the hand of God!

*****2Ch 28:3  Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.
2Ch 28:4  He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.

Judah was the last theocratic society left at that time because Ahaz ruled with absolute authority totally ignoring the Word of God.

He promoted and led his nation into the worship of false gods.
He also committed the abominable sin of human sacrifice, even with his own son.

Over 1 million babies were aborted in America last year and this is non other than human sacrifice to a wicked behavior and our own tax dollars are used.

Jer 32:35  And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.

Every Democrat in office just this year voted to allow abortion even up to the 9nth month, just before those precious babies are to be born. This to is an abomination to the Lord! This is an abomination to the human race!

King Ahaz followed after the religious practices of the Canaanites which God had already commanded Israel to exterminate for these very same reasons.

Today we live in a nation that is trying it's best to totally kick God out of existence and in so doing, wickedness is abounding unhindered.

People either deny the existence of God or they just refuse to accept the Lord Jesus Christ while claiming to know God.

Either way they are lost!

The greatest sin of all is the sin of unbelief!

Joh 16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
Joh 16:8  And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
Joh 16:9  Of sin, because they believe not on me;

To reject the Lord Jesus Christ is to worship some false god!

The Living True God is God the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ whose Spirit is the God who will reprove this world of the sin of unbelief!

What is the truth of Father God?

Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Joh 3:18  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

King Ahaz was a depraved man with a depraved heart and a heart such as this can only be cleansed by the "Blood of Jesus"!

1Pe 1:18  Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
1Pe 1:19  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

1Pe 3:18  For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

Though the world deceive you this is the truth of the Scriptures!

To ignore these things will bring the "Judgment of God"!

*****2Ch 28:5  Wherefore the LORD his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they smote him, and carried away a great multitude of them captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter.
2Ch 28:6  For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah an hundred and twenty thousand in one day, which were all valiant men; because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers.

When God's "Judgment" comes He uses things in His created world.

When God's "Wrath" finally comes He will uses all the means He chooses!

Judgment and Wrath are not the same!

When we see the word "wherefore", God is saying that the previous Scriptures list the reasons for His actions.

Wherefore because of what Ahaz had done in verses 1-4 now God allowed His "Judgment" to take place.

We here in America better get use to seeing that word "Wherefore".

We already stated that the military of Judah was the envy of many other nations but it did not matter how strong they were, God delivered them into the hand of the King of Syria.

We can see that the Northern Tribes had also formed an alliance with Syria and took advantage of that at this time.

History calls this the Syro-Ephramite War.

The army of the King of Syria defeated the army of Judah and carried a great multitude of captives back to Damascus Syria.

But the King of Israel took advantage of the situation and caused a great slaughter of the people of Judah.

These things are the beginning of the great prophesies of Isaiah Chapter 7.

The slaughter of 120,000 people of Judah in one day was a terrible thing to take place!

When God removes His hedge of protection from a people terrible things can happen!

The Scripture is specific "because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers"!

This slaughter also included many heads of the government.

*****2Ch 28:7  And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maaseiah the king's son, and Azrikam the governor of the house, and Elkanah that was next to the king.

Maaseiah would have been the next King of Judah, but that now fell to Hezekiah.

Azrikam was the palace manager, and manage the affairs of the King.

Elkanah was second in command, or we would say today the "Vice-President".

We can see that King Pekah of Israel was also a ruthless leader who had already seized the throne of Israel and would liked to have ruled Judah also as he tried to restore power to Israel.

Then he did something foolish.

*****2Ch 28:8  And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters, and took also away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria.

King Pekah's army ransacked the cities of Judea and took over 200,000 women and children back to Samaria as
exiles and stole as much of the wealth of Judea as they could carry.

BUT, This thing was seen in Heaven.

*****2Ch 28:9  But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded: and he went out before the host that came to Samaria, and said unto them, Behold, because the LORD God of your fathers was wroth with Judah, he hath delivered them into your hand, and ye have slain them in a rage that reacheth up unto heaven.

Notice God always has someone in the right place at the right time and God's prophets stood up to Kings, Generals, or anyone else without any fear.

There are no great things mentioned of the Prophet Oded except in this Scripture.

The one great lesson we can learn is that "one person with God on their side" can stop a mighty army and a foolish national leader!

Oded made this army aware that they were only victorious because the Lord had allowed this army a great victory but this army had gone much to far and had made God angry!

1) They had used excessive force.
2) They had shown brutality and cruelty.
3) They had slaughtered the army of Judah in a rage.

They had shown no mercy and God is a God of "mercy". Remember "all vengeance belongs to the Lord"!

This should be a warning to every military unit and especially to ISIS and ALL TERRORIST organizations.

God will not allow His people to become slaves to anyone other than He and God does not make slaves, God makes families!

Lev 25:46  And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen for ever: "but over your brethren the children of Israel, ye shall not rule one over another with rigour".

God never forgets what He has written down. We must always know to whom God is speaking to and keep God's Word in the context it was written!

It was time for the government of Israel to make a choice!

*****2Ch 28:10  And now ye purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bondmen and bondwomen unto you: but are there not with you, even with you, sins against the LORD your God?
2Ch 28:11  Now hear me therefore, and deliver the captives again, which ye have taken captive of your brethren: for the fierce wrath of the LORD is upon you.

The leaders of Israel must return the people of Judah to their land or face the wrath of God. God's wrath rested on the next decision they made and God was ready to strike them down at that very moment if they failed to show mercy.

In order to know the compassion of the Lord, we must show compassion to all others!

In order to know the mercy of the Lord we must show mercy to all others.

In order to be forgiven by the Lord we must be willing to forgive all others.

We can see that God never misses an opportunity to teach us more about His ways!

This military had to decide if they served the government or if they served themselves.

*****2Ch 28:12  Then certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, and Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against them that came from the war,
2Ch 28:13  And said unto them, Ye shall not bring in the captives hither: for whereas we have offended against the LORD already, ye intend to add more to our sins and to our trespass: for our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel.
2Ch 28:14  So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the congregation.
2Ch 28:15  And the men which were expressed by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brethren: then they returned to Samaria.

King Ahaz was full of wickedness and human depravity and he had completely turned away from the Lord and led the nation of Judah into false worship and the abomination of human sacrifice especially of babes and small children.

This should be a warning to all who do such things!

We see what is going on in America by our own government.

We see what is going on in America with all the rioting and rebellion because of our government.

We see the ruthlessness of terrorism world wide because governments allow this to happen.

We see the compromising church into false and abominable worship influenced by the government.

We read what God does in all these situations, why would we not expect the "Judgment" of God to come at any time?

Jesus spoke these words by the Holy Spirit to the Apostle John.

Rev 21:8  But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Jesus spoke these words by the Holy Spirit to Luke

Luk 17:24  For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.
Luk 17:25  But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.
Luk 17:26  And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
Luk 17:27  They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
Luk 17:28  Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
Luk 17:29  But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
Luk 17:30  Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

The truth is, there is no one on this earth that lives in isolation which means we all have some influence on others!

When we reject the Lord and compromise on the Word of God, or participate in false worship, we become a stumbling block to our friends, our neighbors and especially our families!

When we give our stamp of approval for anything that goes against the Word of God, we are misleading others to the truth of God!

We should clearly understand, if God loved this world enough to send His only begotten Son to save this world, then God loves this world too much to allow the suffering of His people to go on very much longer.

2Pe 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
2Pe 3:10  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

As we will see when a nation plunders and destroys, it opens the door for the ruthlessness of society to do as they please!

*****2Ch 28:16  At that time did king Ahaz send unto the kings of Assyria to help him.
2Ch 28:17  For again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah, and carried away captives.
2Ch 28:18  The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the low country, and of the south of Judah, and had taken Bethshemesh, and Ajalon, and Gederoth, and Shocho with the villages thereof, and Timnah with the villages thereof, Gimzo also and the villages thereof: and they dwelt there.
2Ch 28:19  For the LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the LORD.

King Ahaz was too foolish to repent and turn to the Lord and he was also foolish enough to turn to another enemy for help.

While a nation who once had a military that was the envy of other nation and been decimated and sat defenseless, those old life time enemies took advantage of that situation!

The Edomites, the descendants of Esau still carried that bitter hatred.

The Philistines who had always been aggressive toward Israel took advantage of Judah at this time.

All these things had taken place because of King Ahaz but he still refused to repent!

Even the Assyrians showed their true colors.

*****2Ch 28:20  And Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not.
2Ch 28:21  For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the LORD, and out of the house of the king, and of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria: but he helped him not.

As we have seen in other lessons, money simply cannot by your way out of all your troubles!

Especially when that money robs the House of God!

Time after time our own government threatens to take or hinder the money given to the House of God, they should also learn yet another lesson from the Word of God!

King Ahaz was wicked enough, but the people of Judah had followed after him in wickedness.

This another thing we see in America today!

Assyria did actually attack Syria and conquered them but never helped Judah at all.

In other words King Ahaz had financed the Assyrian King enough that he had become the dominate power in the region. The Syrian threat may have been removed but all King Ahaz had accomplished, was to bankrupt his own nation.

King Ahaz had inherited a strong and wealthy nation and  he had brought his own nation to it's knees and sat very vulnerable to the world of evilness.

King Ahaz had looked for a Savior other than the Lord, even though the Lord had delivered his nation since they had escaped from the bondage of Egypt.

The lessons of the history of Israel were ignored!

Today our own leaders are looking for a Savior other than the Lord, (in fact Allah), and they have forgotten the history of America and in fact are trying to erase the history of America.

We should not expect God to offer a different result than what He has proven He has done in the past!

On a personal level, if we seek salvation from any source other than the Lord, that salvation will never be found.

It is only the Lord Jesus Christ who has the power to deliver us from the wickedness of sin!

It is only the Lord Jesus Christ who has the power to carry us to victory in this life and on into the eternal life of Heaven!

2Ti 4:18  And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

2Pe 2:9  The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
2Pe 2:10  But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, self willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

The truth is King Ahaz just became more wicked even after all these things.

*****2Ch 28:22  And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the LORD: this is that king Ahaz.
2Ch 28:23  For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.

The truth is, when we have not learned from the chastisement of God, then God does not make it easier, God just makes it harder.

Chastisement either brings to our knees or just makes us mad at God for not allowing us to enjoy our sin and sin can only bring pleasure for a season, or a short time!

We will return to those old false gods searching for relief or we will make our own selves a god and continue to think we know better than God.

This, in "typology", this attitude of King Ahaz, will be the attitude of all those who have rejected God after the "Rapture" of the Church and we are beginning to see that now in the attitude of the world, where good is called evil, and evil is called good.

Isa 5:18  Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:
Isa 5:19  That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it!
Isa 5:20  Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Isa 5:21  Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
Isa 5:22  Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:
Isa 5:23  Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!
Isa 5:24  Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Remember Isaiah also prophesied in the time of Ahaz.

It even seems that King Ahaz, even more tried to destroy his own nation because he was mad at God.

This is the attitude of Satan himself!

The gods of Syria had defeated him so he prayed even harder to the gods of Syria to see if he could change things, which is impossible because they had no power to begin with.

King Ahaz sunk as low as a ruler can go!

*****2Ch 28:24  And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the LORD, and he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem.
2Ch 28:25  And in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the LORD God of his fathers.

The guilt of King Ahaz drove him to madness.

King Ahaz mutilated the artistry of the vessels in God's house and destroyed them.

He took away the brazen lavers. The Brazen Lavers are considered a "type" of Christ. The water in those lavers are in "typology" the Word of God.

The first step for consecrating the Temple Priests was to wash them with the water of the brazen laver.

Eph 5:26  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Eph 5:27  That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Joh 3:5  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

He altered the great laver King Solomon had made by taking down the brazen sea from the oxen on which it stood and set it upon a pavement of stones.

Here is what King Solomon had constructed:

1Ki 7:23  And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.
1Ki 7:24  And under the brim of it round about there were knops compassing it, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about: the knops were cast in two rows, when it was cast.
1Ki 7:25  It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.

Here is what King Ahaz did to it:

2Ki 16:17  And king Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from off them; and took down the sea from off the brasen oxen that were under it, and put it upon a pavement of stones.
2Ki 16:18  And the covert for the sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king's entry without, turned he from the house of the LORD for the king of Assyria.

And King Ahaz did everything that he could to provoke the anger of the Lord and it cost him his life!

*****2Ch 28:26  Now the rest of his acts and of all his ways, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.
2Ch 28:27  And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem: but they brought him not into the sepulchres of the kings of Israel: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.

All these things of King Ahaz were written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and at the young age of 36, God had ended his life.

There were very few rulers at that time who had lived lives as wicked and who had brought so much destruction to their own nation as had King Ahaz.

But today we cannot say that as we have seen many who have brought great destruction to their own nations and who had also rejected the Living God.

King Ahaz was buried in Jerusalem but he was not buried in the sepulchres of the Kings which began with King David.

King Ahaz forsook the Lord and fell in the depths of unbelief but we see an entire world heading in that same direction today!

We have seen as this results in a tragic life.

A life without God is a life of misery and it is usually a short one.

King Ahaz not only rejected the Lord but he caused all worship to cease in the Temple for all others who would want to worship the Lord.

King Ahaz again is a "type" of the people and the governments of the end times and we are beginning to see these things take place and we have for awhile.

2Ti 4:3  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
2Ti 4:4  And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

We all know that King Hezekiah was a great King of Judah but not many of us realize the state of Judah was in when a young Hezekiah became King of Judah.

Questions?

Let's Pray!