seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
2 Chronicles 28:9 But a prophet of the Lord named Oded was there, and he went out to meet the army when it returned to Samaria. He said to them, “Because the Lord, the God of your ancestors, was angry with Judah, he gave them into your hand. But you have slaughtered them in a rage that reaches to heaven. 10 And now you intend to make the men and women of Judah and Jerusalem your slaves. But aren’t you also guilty of sins against the Lord your God? 11 Now listen to me! Send back your fellow Israelites you have taken as prisoners, for the Lord’s fierce anger rests on you.”
12 Then some of the leaders in Ephraim—Azariah son of Jehohanan, Berekiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai—confronted those who were arriving from the war. 13 “You must not bring those prisoners here,” they said, “or we will be guilty before the Lord. Do you intend to add to our sin and guilt? For our guilt is already great, and his fierce anger rests on Israel.”
14 So the soldiers gave up the prisoners and plunder in the presence of the officials and all the assembly. 15 The men designated by name took the prisoners, and from the plunder they clothed all who were naked. They provided them with clothes and sandals, food and drink, and healing balm. All those who were weak they put on donkeys. So they took them back to their fellow Israelites at Jericho, the City of Palms, and returned to Samaria.
Yesterday, when I left that baby killing idiot Ahaz; 2,000 men, women, and children of Judah had been captured by their cousins, the Israelites. I need to remind myself that Israel now refers to northern area of the Promised Land where the ten tribes of Jacob [renamed Israel by God] settled. The southern area, where the tribes of Judah and Benjamin settled, was called Judah. Jerusalem, where the Temple was built in the days of Solomon, is located in the old tribal area of Judah. So, these are cousins capturing cousins. These are cousins killing cousins. So God sent a prophet. Someone had to speak out and this time.... it was Obed the prophet. Obed said that God said "But aren’t you also guilty of sins against the Lord your God?" Doesn't that sound a lot like what Jesus said when the church leaders brought the adulteress to the square? Did they ask Jesus what they should do with her, knowing full well that the Bible said to stone her to death.
Well here's John 8:7 But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
So God told Obed to say something that Jesus said later..... well that part is cool. This is the commentary from the easy English site this morning.
Verses 9-15 The prophet Oded went out to meet the army of Israel. We do not know anything else about this prophet. He told them that God had used them to punish Judah. He did it because he was angry with Judah. But the army of Israel did more than God wanted them to do. They were too cruel and their anger was too fierce. And they had taken away men, women and children from Judah to make them slaves.
From the days of Rehoboam, the 10 tribes of Israel had turned from the LORD. They were more guilty of this than the two tribes of Judah. And in this action, they had sinned against the LORD.
Oded told them to send the prisoners back. Because they had captured these people, the LORD was angry with them.
Then some of the leaders of Ephraim went to meet the soldiers. The names of four of them are in the text. Ephraim here means the 10 tribes of Israel. They told the soldiers that they could not bring the prisoners into Samaria. To do so would add to the sins of Israel. The LORD was already angry with them. So, the soldiers left the prisoners and the valuable things with the leaders.
The leaders looked after the prisoners. They used the valuable things to provide what these people needed. They gave clothes, food, drink and medicine to them. And they took the prisoners back to their own people. They took them to Jericho. Jericho was a city on the border between Israel and Judah.
Oh boy the thoughts just keep zipping this morning. Good coffee I guess.
First thought.... when I find something that sounds like it has been used around God's place so much that it gets repeated by prophets and average Joes on earth.... I wonder... does it do anything to prove Jesus is the Son of God. John says Jesus was around when God made everything [called Jesus the "Word" in John 1]. So if God was saying stuff like "Let the one without sin" to the prophet to repeat to the humans and Jesus repeated it.... isn't that proof that Jesus is the "Word"?
Second thought.... back to today's story.... God wanted the people of the of ten tribes [Israel] to punish the two tribes [Judah]. 120,000 soldiers from Judah were slaughtered. 2,000 people of Judah were captured and marched to the border. The Israelites [10 tribes] wanted to march the captives right into Samaria... where they would be slaves.... cousin slaves.... but God said "Hold it... you're enjoying this too much"
Last thought.... Ahaz worshiped Molech.... he killed his own sons by cooking them to death on the lap or in the arms of this statue after it was heated to glowing hot.... so the children who were "captured" were probably saved.... but I'm not going any further with that this morning.... saving the babies is good enough to get me through the day.
I started to post something from Bible.org. Dr. Dobson, from Focus on the Family, was talking about Aids. When Aids first made the headlines, Dobson and others in the churches, laid it on thick about how the sin of some people was so horrible God brought a plague on those people called Aids. Families were torn apart over the controversy. Good people contracted the disease and "good Christians" condemned them and spread rumors and gossip about them.
Then when the disease spread to the drug addicts from the use of dirty needles.... the "judgement" was spreading [according to the "good Christians"]. More sermons full of condemnation were pounded out on pulpits around the nation. HOWEVER, In the article posted as part of Bible.org this morning.... Dr. Dobson now retracts his statement. Aids is not a judgement because children are being diagnosed with Aids. God wouldn't let a little child suffer, according to Dr. Dobson and the "good Christians". I guess when Jesus was on the cross the "good Christians" would say He was more selective about who He was doing all this for. I guess some of those "good Christians" would quote Jesus would say "only the blameless protestants or catholics from the right side of the tracks" I was under the impression Jesus promised salvation for ANYONE who believes in Him, even someone with Aids or a drug addict.
Not everything bad that happens is a judgement from God. Humans are filthy animals.... look at all the garbage we leave in our wake.... Humans are so filthy there is an island of trash in the Ocean so big that ships have to steer around it. In all that filth... the Aids virus erupted.... it got those closest to its birthplace first and spread..... IMHO......If Dr. Dobson had been the first one to contract Aids.... it would have had a quicker cure.
God corrects me... I'm a human and I do some really stupid things.... but He's careful not to beat me when He's angry... because if God wanted to smack my butt.... I'd fly to the next planet.... but He corrects me in Love..... those Israelites who took 2,000 men, women, and children captive... there was no love in their hearts... the blood lust was filling their hears.... so God stopped them... God sent Obed the prophet to say "Cool down these are your relatives".
Gotta get another cup of coffee.
