NOTE: Today’s blog posting was mistakenly sent out yesterday. It was fixed by noon and the email was re-sent. Sorry about that!
COVENANTS
Today’s Reading: 2 Kings 23
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
This is the view looking south from the temple mount in Jerusalem where the Kidron Valley joins the Valley of Gehenna. In today’s reading, the Valley of Gehenna is referred to as the Valley of the Son of Hinnom (2 Kings 23:10).
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verse: 2 Kings 23:3
Then the king stood by a pillar and made a covenant before the Lord, to follow the Lord and keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people took their stand for the covenant.
Three times in our key verse the word COVENANT is repeated! A covenant is the most solemn and most binding agreement into which two parties can enter. In verse two we read, “The king…read in their hearing all the words of the book of the COVENANT which had been found in the house of the Lord.” The King himself read the book out loud to all the people. What an experience this was! Imagine the loud voice of the young king ringing out across the crowded plaza. As did the people, will we commit with all our hearts and souls to perform the words of the covenant? According to Hebrews, for the past 2000 years we have had “A better COVENANT, which was established on better promises.” We may want to read (out loud if possible) Hebrews 8:1-13 & 2:11-15. Let us meditate on this amazing grace of God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Almighty and eternal God, I am amazed that You would bind Your Self to such an eternally binding covenant with me and all who will personally sign the covenant with all our hearts and souls. You signed in blood at the cross. I am absolutely confident that You will keep Your end of this eternally and legally binding agreement. The courts of Heaven witness to Your signature, and those same courts rang with great joy when I signed on, and they continue to celebrate over each new name written in the Book of Life. Grant that I may bring another person to sign in today, I pray. In the Name of the “Mediator of the New Covenant,” Jesus my Lord and Saviour, Amen!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
I am deeply moved to read the responses of readers of this blog. Her are two…
1. What insight you make David. If we (as in this generation) fail to reach-out to the next generation, the Word of God will be something we only see as an article on a shelf in the museum. Christ must be our life, we need to be filled daily anew with His Holy Spirit, and then go forth in His service. We mustn’t miss the opportunity to proclaim the gospel, for life in this world passes quickly.
2. Please don’t think for a moment that this blog is a chore. This blog has brought me renewal and great joy every day! I’ve been a Christian for 30 years, but have never felt so alive in my Christian walk as I have this last year. Thank you David for bringing this to us daily, you’ll never know how it has enhanced my Christian walk. I can’t wait to see what you have in store for us in 100words for this next year. God Bless you for being a faithful servant in bringing this to us every day David.
Yours, celebrating the new covenant,
David
The southern wall of the temple mount in seen on the left and in the distance are some of the thousands of graves on the slopes of the Mount of Olives. You can even see a Jewish funeral service taking place. In todays reading, verse 6, the ashes of the wooden image King Josiah had burnt were thrown on the graves of the common people.
King Josiah was true to God but his sons would fall short and into the corruption of sinfulness. The repetitive cycle of the Old Testament was so very sad but praise God for our Lord Saviour, Jesus! Let us keep the covenant with which we proclaim our union with Christ, our One and ONLY King! Amen. Blessings fellow saints in the Lord! We love you, David!
Behold, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord,
Who by night stand in the house of the Lord!
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord.
Psalm 134 NKJV
Abraham (Lyric Video) // The War Is Over // Josh Baldwin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kOaHuWrKIw
What a breath of fresh air to read about King Josiah who did right in the eyes of the Lord. May we too follow on the right path, following Jesus who leads us on paths of righteousness for His Names Sake.
I pray that unlike Josiah’s son, our descendants would give their hearts to Jesus the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Jesus, I pray that none should perish but come to you with our whole heart. Amen!!
Have a glorious day in the Lord all you saints!
Thank you for today’s photos that coincide with the scripture of the day!! Always so well presented with explanation of its content.
Amen, Irene!
Thank you dear pastor David for your prayers. Felt the presence of the Lord this morning in prayer and in preparation for the Israel service. Going to use the Brian Hardin video and some of my personal videos from 2015. getting blessed seeing them again. What an zealous servant of God Josiah was. Blessings!
TY Beverlee Kay for pointing out Paul’s blog of Feb 17/17! Paul if you read this, call 100 Huntley Street and talk to Ron, or Ann, David Mainse’s son & daughter in law!
I don’t know where you got that info from Paul but you are incorrect! 100 Huntley Street DOES NOT believe in abortion, divorce, and so on! Where did you ever get that idea! I think it is very important to check out our words Paul, for yourself;
God does not want His people to live in these states of sin; that’s not what He created in us or for us; HOWEVER because of our sinful nature we do make mistakes, and I have made tons of mistakes, however, I have confessed these things to God and ask for His forgiveness and He has forgiven me!
What I have also learned is that God does not judge us nor shame us, He does not point His finger at us and tells us how bad we are! I was raised that way! It’s a horrible way to grow up! But again, the Lord led me to Bible studies, to other Christian people, and over the years I began to learn about our Loving Saviour and God, our Lord Jesus Christ!
I have thanked the Lord over and over for this blog! It gives everyone a chance to share their views; and I believe for me it shows that sometimes we can misread words and begin to take on a whole different meaning, and that meaning is not necessarily what was meant in the blog! Paul I thank you for posting your blog! It has resulted in dialogue between people and that is a “good thing” God bless you Paul! Keep posting!