King James Bible Study: The Unknown God

King James Bible Study: The Unknown God
For: Saturday May 07, 2011
Chapters: II Kings 16-17
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://imfollowingjesus.com/bible-may-7
Details of Today's Reading: The evil reign of Ahaz over Judah, the Assyrians take control in Damascus, the evil reign of Hoshea in Israel, Israel becomes tributary to Assyrians, the sins of Israel, and God removes Israel from His sight.

Hello My Friend/Guest,

“Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you... Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” - Acts 17:22,23,29-31.

Ever wonder why there are so many religions out there? They are ignorantly worshiping the unknown god. Every person on earth lives by some kind of hope and faith, they will go wherever that hope and faith takes them. Sadly, there are plenty of wicked people out there ready to reel them in with lots of promises. The truth is, there is only One God, One Way, and One Life, and that is through the Lord Jesus Christ, but the majority of people will follow the unknown god simply because they have no idea who the Almighty Living God is.

God gave the Israelites one command to follow, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” - Exodus 20:3. However, for the majority of Israel God was unknown to them, leaving them to follow whatever god they felt comfortable with. Judah had been the only kingdom still worshiping God publicly, now, there is a new king and all of that was about to change.

“Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD his God, like David his father. But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel. And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.“ - II Kings 16:2-4.

People are often referred to as sheep, sheep are unaware of what is up ahead of them, they wander easily and walk into all kinds of danger, that is why they need a shepherd leading them. Now, imagine that shepherd being a wolf, leading the sheep right into a fiery pit? False religious leaders lead millions, and I mean millions, of people in hell because they have rejected God and made up their own. Ignorance does not keep a person from ending up in hell, every person that does not know God, receives the same fate as the false leader and Satan himself.

“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever... And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” - Revelation 20:10,14,15.

Now, with both nations making false gods the god of their choice God has had enough, He begins with the Northern Kingdom. The Samaritans came in, took control of Israel and took most of the Israelites captive and brought them to Assyria.

“Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years. In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods, And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made...Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.” - II Kings 17:5-8,18.

As I said yesterday, God will not watch His people living in sin, if it continues with no thought of repentance He will cast them away from His presence. Just as Paul told the Greeks that it is not God's will to cast away all men, but to see them come to repentance, we are to heed the same message. “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.” - II Peter 3:9.

Now, with Israel in Assyria, one might think that God was not with them, but God was sure to show not only the Israelites, but the Samaritans as well that this was all His plan. The Samaritans quickly learned that Israel's God was among them.

“And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which slew some of them. Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land. Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land.” - II Kings 17:25-27.

Recognizing in these attacks a judgment from the God of the land, whom they had not worshiped, they petitioned the Assyrian court to send them some Jewish priests who might instruct them in the right way of serving Him. The amazing thing about God is that while He turns His back on sin He does not completely cast them out and on top of that He gets others to come to know Him in the process. “Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” - James 5:19,20.

Every living person has a chance to know the truth and follow the One and Only True God, it's up to them, but it's a choice that is vital. There is only one way to know God and that is through Jesus Christ, His Son. No matter how many false religions or gods are made up through the wolves.

“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves...Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. “ - Matthew 8:15,21-23

There is only One God, One Way, One Life and that is by believing in and accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. “ - John 14:6.

Jesus Revealed: Today Jesus is revealed through the original brass altar made by Solomon (6:14). The Brasen Altar is a type of the cross on which Christ, our whole Burnt Offering, offered Himself to God as a sin sacrifice for all mankind. “For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.” - Hebrews 7:26,27.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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