Day 40 – Promise  Keeper

2 Chronicles 36:1 Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah and made him king in his father’s place in Jerusalem. 2 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned for three months in Jerusalem.

 3 Now the king of Egypt deposed him at Jerusalem; and he imposed on the land a tribute of one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 4 Then the king of Egypt made Jehoahaz’s brother Eliakim king over Judah and Jerusalem and changed his name to Jehoiakim. Then Necho took Jehoahaz his brother and carried him off to Egypt.

 5 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did evil in the sight of JEHOVAH his Elohiym.

 6 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against him and bound him in bronze fetters to carry him off to Babylon. 7 Nebuchadnezzar also carried off some of the articles from the house of JEHOVAH to Babylon and put them in his temple at Babylon.

 8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, the abominations which he did, and what was found against him, indeed they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. Then Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place.

 9 Jehoiachin was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for three months and ten days. He did evil in the sight of JEHOVAH.

 10 At the turn of the year King Nebuchadnezzar summoned him and took him to Babylon, with the costly articles from the house of JEHOVAH, and made Zedekiah, Jehoiakim’s brother, king over Judah and Jerusalem.

 11 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. 12 He did evil in the sight of JEHOVAH his Elohiym, and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of JEHOVAH. 13 He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear an oath by Elohiym; but he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to JEHOVAH Elohiym of Israel.

 14 Moreover the leaders of the priests and the people transgressed more and more, according to the abominations of the nations, and defiled the house of JEHOVAH which He had consecrated in Jerusalem.

 15 Then JEHOVAH Elohiym of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. 16 However, they mocked the messengers of Elohiym, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of JEHOVAH arose against His people, till there was no remedy. 17 Therefore, He brought against them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, on the aged or the weak; He gave them into his hand. 18 The articles from the house of Elohiym, great and small, the treasures of the house of JEHOVAH, and the treasures of the king and of his leaders, these he took to Babylon.

 19 Then they burned the house of Elohiym, broke down the wall of Jerusalem, burned its palaces with fire, and destroyed its precious possessions. 20 Those who escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon, where they became servants to him and his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, 21 to fulfill the word of JEHOVAH by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay desolate, she kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.

 22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of JEHOVAH by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, JEHOVAH stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, 23 Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: JEHOVAH Elohiym of heaven has given me the kingdoms of the earth. He commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of His people? May JEHOVAH his Elohiym be with him and let him go up!

God’s names:

JEHOVAH – Self-existent, Eternal

Elohiym – Supreme God

Yeshuwa – Jesus

Kurios – Supreme Authority

Iesous – Jesus

Christos – Anointed One, Messiah

Pascha – Passover

Pater – Father

Hurios – Son

God’s character:

Promise keeper

How many warnings do you give before you do what you promised for disobedience? Children disobey. It’s what they do. However, if you only give them warnings and don’t act on your promise, they will become complacent, not believing you will follow through on your promise.

JEHOVAH gave His people warnings about what He would do if they continued to disobey Him. Judge after judge, king after king, warning after warning from His prophets about what He would do if they continued to disobey Him. The time came when JEHOVAH sent Nebuchadnezzar against Judah and Jerusalem to take them into exile. JEHOVAH had warned them until there was no remedy. The only thing left was exile so the land could have its Sabbaths. Not only did the people sin against Elohiym. They polluted the land with their abominations. JEHOVAH needed to restore the land before He returned His people to the Promised Land. He did that as Jeremiah prophesied, seventy years after He sent them into exile. Cyrus, king of Persia sent the proclamation to the Jews to anyone who wanted to return to their homeland that they could go.

What does it take for you to obey Yeshuwa? You accepted Him as Savior and Lord. You committed to following Him wholeheartedly, and you did for a time. However, you wanted to do things your way, and you did. You forgot what you committed to. You became complacent in your faith until Yeshuwa had no other remedy except to give you into Satan’s hands.

1 Corinthians 5:1 It is reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father’s wife! 2 You are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. 3 For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. 4 In the name of our Kurios Iesous Christos, when you are gathered, along with my spirit, with the power of our Kurios Iesous Christos, 5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Kurios Iesous. 6 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Therefore, purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For Christos, our Pascha was sacrificed for us. 8 Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Yeshuwa does not give you over to Satan for your destruction, but so you will realize your sin and return to Him.

Israel sinned against Elohiym from the moment He gave them the promise of a Messiah to bring them back into a perfect fellowship with Him. The only way He could do that was to send His people into exile until they confessed Him as their JEHOVAH and returned to Him in body and spirit. Only then could He set the final stage of their deliverance from sin. First, they needed to accept Him as their JEHOVAH Elohiym.

King Cyrus sent them home to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, and to rebuild their lives in faith to Him.

Yeshuwa came to restore you to fellowship, to rebuild your walls, your temple, and your life in Him.

1 John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Logos of life— 2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Pater and was manifested to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Pater and with His Hurios Iesous Christos. 4 These things we write to you that your joy may be full.

JEHOVAH walked in the cool of the day in the Garden of Eden because He wanted fellowship with Adam and Eve. He promised them a Savior when they sinned because He wanted fellowship reestablished with His people. He sent Yeshuwa as their Christos, to bring you into fellowship with Him.

What more does Yeshuwa need to do to make you realize how far you strayed from Him? There is nothing more. It’s up to you to return to Him. JEHOVAH fulfilled His promise to you just as He fulfilled His promise to His people when He sent them into exile. He returned them to their homeland when they realized their sin and returned to Him. When you realize your sin and confess your sin, then you will have fellowship with Him again and you will know the true joy of His fellowship.

Let’s pray: Father, I know I am a sinner. Every sin takes me away from You and the fellowship You want with me. I confess my sin. Restore me as You promised so I can enjoy Your presence in my life and know the true joy of my salvation. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Copyright © 27 February 2025 by Valerie Routhieaux