Day 341 – Promises

2 Kings 17:1 In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years. 2 He did evil in the sight of JEHOVAH, but not as the kings of Israel who were before him.

 3 Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against him; and Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute money. 4 The king of Assyria uncovered a conspiracy by Hoshea; for he had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and brought no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore, the king of Assyria shut him up, and put him in prison. 5 Now the king of Assyria went throughout the land and went to Samaria and besieged it for three years. 6 In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away to Assyria, and placed them in Halah and by the Habor, the River of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

 7 For so it happened that the children of Israel had sinned against JEHOVAH their Elohiym, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and they had feared other elohiym, 8 and had walked in the statutes of the nations whom JEHOVAH had cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made. 9 Also the children of Israel secretly did against JEHOVAH their Elohiym things that were not right, and they built for themselves high places in every city, from watchtower to fortified city. 10 They set up for themselves sacred pillars and wooden images on every high hill and under every green tree. 11 There they burned incense on the high places, like the nations whom JEHOVAH had carried away before them; and they did wicked things to provoke JEHOVAH to anger, 12 for they served idols, of which JEHOVAH had said to them, “You will not do this thing.”

 13 Yet JEHOVAH testified against Israel and against Judah, by His prophets, every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways, and keep My commandments and My statutes, according to the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by My servants the prophets.”

 14 Nevertheless, they would not hear, but stiffened their necks, like the necks of their fathers, who did not believe in JEHOVAH their Elohiym. 15 They rejected His statutes and His covenant He had made with their fathers, and His testimonies which He had testified against them; they followed idols, became idolaters, and went after the nations who were around them, concerning whom JEHOVAH had charged them that they should not do like them. 16 They left the commandments of JEHOVAH their Elohiym, made for themselves a molded image and two calves, made a wooden image, and worshiped the host of heaven, and served Baal. 17 They caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and soothsaying, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of JEHOVAH, to provoke Him to anger.

 18 Therefore, JEHOVAH was angry with Israel and removed them from His sight; there was none left but the tribe of Judah alone.

 19 Also, Judah did not keep the commandments of the JEHOVAH their Elohiym but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made. 20 JEHOVAH rejected the descendants of Israel, afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of plunderers, until He had cast them from His sight. 21 For He tore Israel from the house of David, and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. Then Jeroboam drove Israel from following JEHOVAH and made them commit a great sin. 22 For the children of Israel walked in the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they did not depart from them, 23 until JEHOVAH removed Israel out of His sight, as He had said by His servants the prophets. Thus, Israel was carried away from their own land to Assyria, as it is to this day.

God’s names:

JEHOVAH – Self-existent, Eternal

Elohiym – Supreme God

Yeshuwa – Jesus

God’s character:

Judge

How many times does someone promise you punishment for your actions before they deliver on their promise?

JEHOVAH promised His people that He would punish them for their disobedience. He sent prophets who told them He would send them into exile. He brought their enemies against them to try to turn them back to Him. Yet nothing JEHOVAH did turned their hearts back to Him. Therefore, He sent the Assyrians to take Israel from their homes into captivity.

What did it take for you to accept Yeshuwa as Savior and Lord? When you committed yourself to Him, did you keep your commitment to obey Him in everything He told you? Or did you continue to do whatever you wanted, believing Yeshuwa would not punish you? What did Yeshuwa do to bring you back to Him?

Many Christians make promises to follow Yeshuwa to get themselves out of trouble and then forget about their promises when He comes through for them. However, the commitment they made to Him, He takes seriously and will do whatever it takes to bring you into a right relationship with Him.

Satan takes the shaky foundation of your commitment and does everything he can to draw you away from Yeshuwa. What you don’t realize is that Yeshuwa holds you in the palm of His hands. He won’t let go of you. He can’t because Yeshuwa is in His Father’s hands.

John 10:27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; neither will anyone snatch them out of My hands. 29 My Father, who gave them to Me, is greater than everyone; and no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hands.

JEHOVAH needed to punish His people by sending them into captivity away from their homeland, the homeland He promised them if they obeyed Him. He promised them He would never send them into captivity again to Egypt. He didn’t. He sent them to Assyria for their disobedience to Him.

Satan is in a tug of war with your life. He wants you to renounce your commitment to Yeshuwa and follow him to the pit of Hell. He wants your eternal destination to be the same as his. He wants company in Hell. Yeshuwa promised you abundant life when you accepted Him as Savior and Lord. The abundant life Satan offers is fragile and temporary. Yeshuwa’s abundant life is eternal with Him in heaven.

Where do you want to spend eternity? If you made a commitment to Yeshuwa as Your Savior and Lord, He’s watching and waiting for you to return to Him and embrace Him and everything He offers you.

It was for you Yeshuwa came to earth to be born of a virgin. It was for you He died on Calvary and rose again the third day to give you eternal life. Everything He did, He did for you. Don’t let Satan take you away from Yeshuwa with promises built on a shaky foundation. Put your trust in Yeshuwa today and watch Him take care of every area of your life when you obey Him.

Father, thank you for reminding me that I belong to You. It was for me, You sent Your Son to earth to be born of a virgin. It was for me Your Son died on Calvary. I renew my commitment to You today to love You with my entire heart, soul, mind, and strength. Let Your Word dwell in my heart and as I show Your love to everyone I meet. Let Your praise fill to overflowing as I worship Your Son as KING of Kings and LORD of Lords. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Copyright © 25 December 2024 by Valerie Routhieaux

Merry Christmas. May the joy of the Lord fill your hearts today as you celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, God’s only Son.