2 Kings 24:8-17 ~ in the sight of the Lord

 

King Jehoiachin Babylonian Cunieform and his 5 Sons receive Prisoner Rations in Prison.  Emperor Nebuchadnezzar, in 17 years, will invite Jehoiachin of King of David's line to sit at his table the rest of his life.

2 Kings 24:8-17

Palace of David

Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. 9 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father had done.

10 At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up to Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. 

11 And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to the city while his servants were besieging it, 12 and Jehoiachin the king of Judah gave himself up to the king of Babylon, himself and his mother and his servants and his officials and his palace officials. The king of Babylon took him prisoner in the eighth year of his reign 13 and carried off all the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold in the temple of the Lord, which Solomon king of Israel had made, as the Lord had foretold. 

Arch of Titus Rome

14 He carried away all Jerusalem and all the officials and all the mighty men of valor, 10,000 captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths. None remained, except the poorest people of the land.

 15 And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon. 

The king's mother, the king's wives, his officials, and the chief men of the land he took into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. 16 And the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon all the men of valor, 7,000, and the craftsmen and the metal workers, 1,000, all of them strong and fit for war. 17 And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin's uncle, king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah.

When Alexander the Great came to the island of Tyre in 332 BC, he wanted to end the navy of Tyre. The nation of Tyre, as an island, felt very secure. Alexander changed the island of Tyre to the plateau of Tyre.  Having completely taken the navy, Alexander learned he was part of Biblical prophecy.  Traveled to meet the High Priest of God and bowed to him. Saying he was not bowing to the person, Alexander the Great was bowing to the representative of God on earth. 

Ezekiel 26:12

 "They will lay your stones, your timber, and your soil in the midst of the water."

Fulfillment: Insular Tyre was situated on an island about half a mile off the coast. 

To attack it, Alexander the Great used the debris, timber, and soil of the ruined mainland city (which Nebuchadnezzar had previously destroyed) to build a massive land bridge or causeway to the island.)

Ezekiel 26:4

God would "scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock."

Fulfillment: Alexander’s engineers cleared the mainland ruins so thoroughly to build the causeway that the site was stripped to the bedrock.

Ezekiel 26:5, 14 

Tyre would become a place "for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea" and would "never be built again."

Fulfillment: Following its destruction by Alexander and subsequent captures, the island city lost its status as a premier global trading hub. Today, the ancient site is largely a desolate coastal area where local fishermen cast their nets

Modern sign dates ruin

And as Alexander died, later that same year, he turned to Babylon to die in the Palace of Nebuchadnezzar. 3 Centures later. Because he said if God would be merciful to Nebuchadnezzar, perhaps the journey to the point of departure would cause the mercy of God to be a blessing once again.

Nebuchadnezzar saw Isaiah 10 as the prophecy leading to 2 Kings 24 and Jeremiah. And the Garden City of Babylon became a desert.

Isaiah 10

Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees,

    and the writers who keep writing oppression,

2 to turn aside the needy from justice

    and to rob the poor of my people of their right,

that widows may be their spoil,

    and that they may make the fatherless their prey!

3 What will you do on the day of punishment

    in the ruin that will come from afar?

To whom will you flee for help,

    and where will you leave your wealth?

4 Nothing remains but to crouch among the prisoners

    or fall among the slain.

For all this his anger has not turned away,

    and his hand is stretched out still.

5 Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger;

    the staff in their hands is my fury!

6 Against a godless nation I send him,

    and against the people of my wrath I command him,

to take spoil and seize plunder,

    and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

7 But he does not so intend,

    and 

his heart does not so think;

but 

it is in his heart to destroy,

    and 

to cut off nations not a few;

8 for he says:

“Are not my commanders all kings?

9 Is not Calno like Carchemish?

    Is not Hamath like Arpad?

    Is not Samaria like Damascus?

10 As my hand has reached to the Kingdoms of the idols,

    whose carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,

11 shall I not do to Jerusalem and her idols

    as I have done to Samaria and her images?”

12 When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, He will 

punish the speech of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria 

and the boastful look in his eyes. 

13 For He says:

“By the strength of My hand I have done it,

    and by My wisdom, 

for I have understanding;

I remove the boundaries of peoples,

    and plunder their treasures;

    like a bull I bring down those who sit on thrones.

14 My Hand has found like a nest

    the wealth of the peoples;

and 

as one gathers eggs that have been forsaken,

    so I have gathered all the earth;

and 

there was none that moved a wing

    or opened the mouth or chirped.”

15 Shall the axe boast over him who hews with it,

    or 

the saw magnify itself against him who wields it?

As if a rod should wield him who lifts it,

    or as if a staff should lift him who is not wood!

16 Therefore 

The Lord God of Hosts

    will 

send wasting sickness among his stout warriors,

and 

under His Glory a burning will be kindled,

    like the burning of fire.

17 The Light of Israel will become a fire,

    and 

His Holy One a flame,

and 

it will burn and devour

    his thorns and briers 

in one day.

18 The glory of his forest and of his fruitful land

 The Lord 

will 

destroy, both soul and body,

    and 

it will be as when a sick man wastes away.

19 The remnant of the trees of his forest will be so few

    that 

a child 

can write them down.

As seen

in the Book of Daniel

and in

History

Abba, Father,

The safety 

of those

helping the earth 

to heal.

Let evil and practicing evil

depart 

far 

from us

and 

our children.

With Your Help

We will act justly

 and to love mercy

 and 

to walk humbly with You, our God.

Peace for California

putting out the many, many, many fires

And

speedy insurance

claims

and fast rebuilding

realizing the standard building codes

even of Reagan

were safe.

Peace

Dwell in me,

Dwell in us,

Dwell in those we Love,

Help us to seek You first.

Peace and the Joy God gives us.

And we will finish well, 

in Jesus Christ. 

Please, Father,

Bless Edward with healthy retinas

without additional surgery

and our family with health

Your Will and Peace

as the little baby has colic fairly intensely.

Help us seek and find 

and bring,

become,

 more Heaven

to this earth.

And in Jesus - This Hope.

Faith and Love - we will rise up Believing Jesus.

Amen

John 21

Thank you, Jesus our Lord Christ

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Bless the Lord Jesus

Thank You, Jesus

Luke 1:39-55 ~ glorifies the Lord

 

Mary and Elizabeth painted by Carl Heinrich Bloch

Luke 1:39-55

 (Today's New International Version)

39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!"

46 And Mary said:
"My soul glorifies the Lord
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

48 for He has been mindful
of the humble state of His servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,

49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
Holy is His Name.

50 His mercy extends to those who fear Him,
from generation to generation.

51 He has performed mighty deeds with His arm;
He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.

53 He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.

54 He has helped His servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful

55 to Abraham and His descendants forever,
just as He promised our ancestors."

The communion of saints, Matthew Henry says, "It is very good for those who have the work of grace begun in their souls, to communicate one to another." How wonderful for a teenage girl to be able to have someone who believes her and lives the same goal to honor the Lord. It must have been difficult for Mary, no biblical recognition is given to Mary's family except Elizabeth and, later, Joseph.

Matthew 18:20  

For where two or three come together in My Name, 

there am I with them. 

Hebrews 10:25

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, 

but let us encourage one another

—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. 

Colossians 3:12-15 

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,

 since as members of One body 

you were called to peace. 

And be thankful. 

John 13:34-35 

"A new command I give you: Love one another. 

As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 

By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another." 

Today, is the day I fast as part of diet I have been mostly following for quite some time.  I feel empty and scattered. Dieting is not a joy maker, yet Scriptures say to fast. I do fast for myself and the body to be in better shape. Fasting  can seem like alcohol in the way they make a person seem off: slowed thinking, worse coordination, and slurred or less organized speech. With fasting, the main drivers are usually reduced fuel availability and fluid/electrolyte imbalance rather than intoxication.

Although many fast for prayer. I am asking for prayers of strength, collected words and thoughts. Not so much suffering, please pray for me. I started noticing this as I began fasting. 

Today we walked and saw all kinds of VBS. Such a good service for mothers who work.  VBS is volunteers but how wonderful for children to have VBS and not just a day care camp. My family is made up of all kinds of people, and I know several who have all the knowledge they have of God, Jesus or Scripture from the opportunity to be in a Church place. And this has blessed their lives.  Maybe one day Churches will offer all summer child services. Holiday Child Care.  Day Care for the Lord.

Several of the Churches we attended for decades had schools. And really the parents did not join the Churches, but the people and family I know who Love the Lord because someone gave of their time to tell of God's Love. To introduce the Scriptures. Worthy, worthy. worthy to the Lamb that was slain.  Doesn't this remind us all, of the loving Monasteries of the Renaissance teaching farming, hospital care and feeding the village to avoid a (physical) starvation.  That is indeed Missionary work and feeds those in the communities. 

A lot of Churches have expensive Schools, all well and Good!  Wouldn't it be wonderful to have affordable Child Care. 

We walked yesterday in a new neighborhood and saw many family homes completely empty for the summer. The children are not home and would probably love a change from school or day care. This would be a labor of love for the Churches but lives will be changed. 

And would give College aged Youth Group a lasting and more adult memory of their Church. Some of these former Youth Group never had younger brothers and sisters to know small children.  Families are far flung these days. The opportunity for Youth Groups to reconnect. 

If the Congress hopes to improve housing for the Nation, perhaps the Churches could plan for summer to be total opportunity for the children. Childcare is vastly expensive. And this would be a new form of Civil Soul Rights. Knowing God and the Gospel. Having the opportunity to hear all of this freely by enthusiastic Christians also comfortable in their environment. 

Open as the Family of God.

Oh, the places Jesus has gone.

Hebrews 2:14

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, 

He Himself likewise partook of the same things, 

that through death 

He might destroy 

that one

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Lord Jesus