Bible Study: Sinful Pride 05.06.10

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Today is Thursday May 06, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of II Kings, chapters 14-15. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this link onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-may-6

Title: Bible Study: Sinful Pride
As Christians we can rejoice in the fact that we are sinners saved by grace through our faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ. However, that does not mean that we will not face the consequences of our sins. Now, sin is any act regarded as disobeying God. Some sins are obvious, such as taking the Lord's name in vain, idolatry, and adultery, but many are not obvious, especially to many new Christians, such as being slothful and little white lies. The root of all sin is in the heart, whatever it is, that makes men proud, secure, or discontent, is caused by their own heart. Perhaps the hardest sin to overcome is pride, now, it is one thing to take pride in what we do, it is another to be so proud that we think of ourselves above anyone else. Of course, we all have skills and talents that God has given us that others do not have, but that does not mean that one person is better than the other. There is always someone to replace us, no one is irreplaceable, unless you are Jesus Christ, and if we do not get a hold of our pride, it can be the destruction of us.

Amaziah, was the next king of Judah, he was promising as a king and loved the Lord, the first order that he gave as the king was that those responsible for his father death be put to death. “In the second year of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel reigned Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah. He was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, yet not like David his father: he did according to all things as Joash his father did. Howbeit the high places were not taken away: as yet the people did sacrifice and burnt incense on the high places. And it came to pass, as soon as the kingdom was confirmed in his hand, that he slew his servants which had slain the king his father....He slew of Edom in the valley of salt ten thousand, and took Selah by war, and called the name of it Joktheel unto this day. ” - II Kings 14:1-5,7. Amaziah sought to please God in all that he did, and in seeking God's pleasure, his thought was right by God. However, he used his father Joash as his guide rather than his forefather David, so, he continued doing what he was taught by his father. This is where we all need to set the right examples for our kids, it is great to teach them to be godly, but we must be willing to go beyond that and teach them through Scripture. Had Joash learned the Scriptures and taught them to Amaziah he would have known to get rid of the high places, which were teaching the people to combine God with their idol worshiping.

After his victory over Edom, Amaziah got overly confident that he could defeat Israel (the Northern Kingdom.) He then calls for a challenge against Jehoash, “Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face. And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle. Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart hath lifted thee up: glory of this, and tarry at home: for why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee? But Amaziah would not hear. Therefore Jehoash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Bethshemesh, which belongeth to Judah. And Judah was put to the worse before Israel; and they fled every man to their tents.” - II Kings 14:8-12. King Joash, gave his answer to Amaziah's challenge, and the answer came through this story of thistles. He is telling Amaziah that his army is nothing, but a patch of trodden down thistles compared to the cedars which we are that are very big and strong. Joash tries to settle this dispute without war, and let him know that the odds are not with Judah in case of war, but Amaziah refuses to listen and the result is a civil war that causes Judah to lose severely, but the war didn't last very long, and very few lives were lost, because Judah's army didn't stick around when they heard that God was not on their side as every man headed back home for his own tent back home. Amaziah was too proud and it was that pride that not only caused him to lose God's respect it also caused unnecessary suffering for the people of Judah. Sinful pride does not just cause us to suffer, but all those who are around us as well.

Azariah, also known as Uzziah, was a king who sought God and the had done more to restore lost territory and strengthen the prestige of Judah than any king since the kingdom divided. Sadly, his great military success and popularity may have caused him to lose sight of the fact that, although he was a powerful king, he was merely a servant of God. “In the twenty and seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel began Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah to reign. Sixteen years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned two and fifty years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done; Save that the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burnt incense still on the high places. And the LORD smote the king, so that he was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house. And Jotham the king's son was over the house, judging the people of the land. ” - II Kings 15:1-5. The book of II Chronicles chapter 26, tells us that Azariah was struck with leprosy because he took on the position of a priest, burning incense upon the altar in the House of the Lord. The king had his functions to rule, to judge, to decide on peace or war, to lead armies, and to direct the whole policy of the nation, but one thing he was not permitted to do was to usurp spiritual responsibilities in the Temple of God. It's amazing how a person can become so successful then somehow forgets that it is God who causes him to prosper and lets his pride takes over only to learn the hard way that he is nothing without God.

Though Judah was not without troubles, yet that kingdom was happy, compared to the state Israel was in. The imperfections of true believers are very different from the allowed of ungodly men. It is human nature to search our hearts and do what we feel is best and that is our downfall. If we leave everything to the heart, deceitfulness, corruption, and or wickedness always comes in to play. As Christians we should all be so grateful of the restraints that God places before us, from being kept from temptation, and for the humbleness He instills in all who seek to follow His will. All of the kings, regardless of North or South had one problem that kept them from seeing God's true blessings and potential in their lives and their kingdoms, that is their unwillingness to get rid of their false gods. They continued to compromise with the world rather than eliminate all of the wickedness from God's people. “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. 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. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” - I John 2:15-17. As Christians we need to daily beg God to renew the Spirit within us that keeps us from falling into sinful pride. “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.” - Psalm 51:10-12.

Enjoy the rest of your day/night and the rest of your week.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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