I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.
After Hezekiah had completed his religious reforms and brought the people of Judah back to worshiping the Lord, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, invaded Judah. Hezekiah responded to this invasion by strengthening Jerusalem’s defenses. He repaired the wall of the city and built a second wall outside of the first. Most importantly, he secured the water supply for the city while at the same time making sure there were no readily available water sources right outside the city.
While conducting a siege on another city, Sennacherib sent messengers with a letter for the people of Jerusalem. In it, Sennacherib started by claiming that God would not save Jerusalem from his armies. However, he continued by claiming that even if He would be willing to do so, God would be powerless to save Jerusalem from him. The officers sent by Sennacherib to deliver his message shouted to the people of Jerusalem in an attempt to terrify them and reduce their willingness to resist an Assyrian attack. The officers compared God to the pagan gods of the surrounding peoples and insulted Him as if He were no more than an object created by human hands. Hezekiah responded to Sennacherib’s threats by crying out to God. God answered Hezekiah’s prayers by destroying a large portion of Sennacherib’s army, forcing Sennacherib to return home. Before Sennacherib was able to rebuild his army and resume conquest, two of his sons killed him while he was worshiping his own gods.
What happened when Sennacherib invaded Judah is a classic example of the way that God works. The Assyrian army was overwhelmingly powerful. There was no chance that the army of Judah would have been able to withstand it in battle. However, Sennacherib became arrogant and challenged God. After Sennacherib proclaimed that God would be unable to protect Jerusalem from him, something happened to his army. The two passages that discuss this event do not describe what happened to the Assyrian army, but they read to me as if it was struck by disease of some kind. Whatever happened, Sennacherib was unable to complete his conquest of Jerusalem, despite his boasts that God could not stop him.
After Hezekiah’s death, his son Manasseh succeeded him on the throne. Manasseh undid many of the religious reforms which Hezekiah had instituted and worshiped many pagan gods. He even sacrificed his own sons in fires (probably as part of worship of Molech,a god of the Phoenicians). Manasseh set up an idol in the Temple of God and worshiped it there. Despite many warnings from prophets, Manasseh did not turn from his evil ways. As a result, he was taken captive by the Assyrians. While held captive by the Assyrians, Manasseh finally turned to God and was released to return to Jerusalem.
Paul concludes his letter by telling his readers that he is finally going to be able to visit Rome. His plan is to stop there on his way to Spain. He has not been able to make this trip previously because there was more work for him to do in Asia Minor, Macedonia, and Achaia. However, he feels he has completed his work in these regions. He has one last task to complete before he can set off on his journey to Spain. The churches of Macedonia and Achaia had gathered an offering to aid the poor among the believers in Jerusalem and Paul was tasked with delivering it to the church in Jerusalem.
It appears to me that by the time that Paul wrote this letter, several people had told Paul that the Holy Spirit was telling them that he would face problems from the Jewish authorities when he got to Jerusalem. While it is possible that his request of his readers for their prayers was a generic request for Paul, it appears to indicate that he was expecting trouble when he got to Jerusalem. I have wondered for several years if God was trying to tell Paul that he should not go to Jerusalem, or if the warnings he received were to prepare him for what he would face.
Paul then asks the readers to care for the needs of Phoebe, who apparently is the messenger delivering his message. Finally, he extends special greetings to people he cares for who are now living in Rome.
This is the conclusion to Psalm 25. I strive to pray similar to this when I face difficult times in my life. I believe that honesty and integrity will protect me because I put my hope and trust in God.
If you want your plans to be successful, seek advice. It is only by listening to good advice that one can make plans that will succeed.