PRECEPTS FOR LIFE
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P.O. Box 182218, Chattanooga, TN 37422-7218
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The following is an actual transcript of the PRECEPTS FOR LIFE Broadcast. For the purpose of filling transcript requests quickly, they have received only light editing. If you have questions concerning the material covered in this broadcast, Kay has published a number of books explaining the Scripture in depth. These books may be ordered by contacting the telephone number or address printed above.
We’re gonna do something a little bit different today on Precepts for Life. I had the privilege of being invited to speak to broadcasters from across the United States of America and around the world. And today I wanna share that message with you, with a prayer that it would pierce your heart.
PART ONE
I would like you to look at Hosea chapter 4. In Hosea chapter 4, Hosea is standing there, instead of God, to speak to the people of God because the wife of God, Israel, has broken the heart of God. The wife of God has played the harlot, even as Ezekiel 16 says. And his heart is broken. And he brings a very hard word after the first three chapters giving the setting and, and what he has called Hosea to do in marrying Gomer.
And this is what he says, “Listen to the word of the Lord, O sons of Israel, for the Lord has a case against the inhabitants of the land, because there is no faithfulness or kindness or knowledge of God in the land.”
(Hosea 4:1)
May I suggest that you take your pen and you just underline “knowledge?”
There is no knowledge of God in the land, there’s no faithfulness, there’s no kindness. God is looking at his people. His people that are called by his name and he has a case against them. And he has a case because instead of faithfulness and kindness and knowledge of God in the land,
“There is swearing [and there is] deception [and there is] murder [and there is] stealing [and there is] adultery.” And it says, “They employed violence, so that bloodshed follows bloodshed. Therefore the land mourns, and everyone [in it] languishes [away.]…”
(Hosea 4:2-3)
I believe that the Lord has a case against America, because there is no knowledge of God in the land and therefore the land is mourning. I believe that he has a case against the church. And I’m talking about the church collectively and it’s probably not you.
But collectively, I believe he has a case against those who name the name of Jesus Christ. And I believe he has a case against us, Precious Ones, because we are not what we ought to be. If you look at the polls you know that there is very little percentage of difference between us and the world, between what we believe and what the world believes.
We say that we believe that there is a God but we do not have a knowledge of God. And we do not have a fear of God. There is no fear of God before our eyes. He goes on to say if you’ll drop down to verse 6,
“My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge.”
He says, “Because you have rejected knowledge.” He says, “I also will reject you from being My priest.” He says, “Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I…will forget your children.”
(Hosea 4:6)
If you go back and you mark the word “knowledge” and verse 6, “My people are destroyed…,” why, because there’s a lack of “knowledge.” There is a “…lack of knowledge because [they] have rejected knowledge….”
Because they have done that, God has “…rejected them from being his priest…,” and consequently since we “…have forgotten the Law of God…,” because when He’s talking about knowledge, there is no knowledge of God apart from the word of God.
Because this is God’s Book and it was given to us to explain who God is and to tell us how we are to live in reverence and obedience to him. And so when you look at it he says,
“…you [forgot] the law of your God; I…will forget your children.”
(Hosea 4:6)
Only 7% of evangelicals have a biblical world view.
And our children, consequently, are suffering. Why? The question is why. And I believe, Precious Ones, that the answer is found in 2 Kings. And so if you will go to 2 Kings chapter 22.
In 2 Kings chapter 22, it says in verse 1, that Josiah was eight years old when he became king, he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem and verse 2,
“He did right in the sight of the Lord and [he] walked in all the way of his father David, [he didn’t] turn… to the right or to the left.”
(2 Kings 22:1-2)
This is awesome. He didn’t walk after his father Amon because Amon was a wicked king. He did evil in the sight of the Lord even as Amon’s father, Manasseh, had done.
When you look at 2 Kings chapter 21, you find that Manasseh did more evil than any other king in all the history of Israel. He did more evil, and in doing that he seduced the people to do evil against God. And so here is a young man with an ungodly heritage and yet there is something about this man where he has a hunger for God.
We are told that he does right in the sight of the Lord. What happens? Well if you’re going to understand Kings you have to read Chronicles also. And in 2 Chronicles chapter 34, it opens up the same way, that,
“Josiah was eight years old when he became king….”
(2 Chronicles 34:1a)
But it tells us in verse 3, something that Kings does not tell us.
It tells us that,
“In the eight year of his reign while he was still a youth…,”
(2 Chronicles 34:3)
if he became king at the age of eight he is now 16 years of age. And he begins to seek God.
“…He begins to seek the God of his father….”
(2 Chronicles 34:3b)
And when you read that you have to think, okay, what was it that caused him to seek God?
It was a broadcaster; it was a messenger from God. Because if you go to the book of Zephaniah and you put the Minor Prophets in with the Kings and the Chronicles, what you find is in the time of Zephaniah. Zephaniah was prophesying during this time from when Josiah was either 12 years old on up until he was about 22 years of age.
And what was Zephaniah’s message? Zephaniah’s message was this; because of sin God is going to have to judge you. A righteous, holy God cannot let us continue in sin.
In Ezekiel 14, you know that God says, [if a country sins against Me this is what I’m going to do. This is how I’m going to judge them. ] (PARAPHRASE, Ezekiel 14:13) And even though Noah and Job or Daniel were there they could only deliver themselves, because only the righteous are going to survive.
Here is a young man that at the age of 16 begins to seek God because a prophet is faithful to bring the message of God and to tell of the coming judgment of God. But also says this,
“Gather yourselves together, yes, gather, O nation without shame, before the decree takes effect—[before] the day passes like the chaff—before the burning anger of the Lord comes upon you, before the Lord‟s anger comes upon you.”
(Zephaniah 2:1-2)
I’m telling you, Precious One, I believe that we need to listen to these words. A righteous and Holy God cannot overlook sin in a nation that has a foundation like we have and has God’s name engraved in marble in our nation’s capital. It goes on to say,
“Seek the Lord…,” now watch, “Seek the Lord all you humble of the earth who have carried out His ordinances; [who are obeying him,] seek righteousness, seek humility. Perhaps you will be hidden In the day of the Lord‟s anger.”
(Zephaniah 2:3)
Well we know from 2 Chronicles that Josiah began to seek the Lord. He responded to this prophet. He responded to the life that he had. When we go back to that passage in 2 Kings chapter 22, it says in verse 3,
“Now in the eighteenth year of the reign of King Josiah.”
(2 Kings 22:3a)
Now King Josiah, seeking God, has gone throughout the land, he has torn down the idolatrous alters. He has torn down the high places. But nothing has been done in Jerusalem. Now here is a young man who has heard the word of God and who has taken it seriously, who has a knowledge of God from the message that he has heard and he is acting on it.
And so at the age of 26 in the eighteenth year of his reign, this is what he does. He sends,
“…Shaphan, the son of Azaliah the son of Meshullam the scribe, to the house of the Lord….”
(2 Kings 22:3)
And what I would suggest that you do is you put a circle around the “house of the Lord.” He says,
“Go…to Hilkiah the high priest that he may count the money…Let them deliver it into the hand of the workmen who have oversight of the house of
[God.]” (2 Kings 22:4-5a)
Now why are they going to the house of God? Why are they going to make repairs on the house of God? Well if you would go back to chapter 21, or if you would go to 2 Kings chapter 23, you would see the adultery and the murder and the bloodshed, even the captivity in 722 B.C. of the northern kingdom had not gotten the southern kingdoms attention.
They thought that they could walk the way they wanted to walk. They thought that they could walk in sin, but there is a God in heaven, Beloved, who cannot overlook sin. And we know that because,
[God took His son who knew no sin and made him to be sin for us.]
(PARAPHRASE, 2 Corinthians 5:21)
This is how God looks at sin, and so God had to judge. If you study those passages, you see that during this time that what Manasseh had done and what was still in place were male cult prostitutes in the house of God.
There were horses to the sun god, there were alters to the Ashura. There were all sorts of witchcraft and divination going on right in the house of God. In the house of God where God had said, I will put my name in the house of God that had been filled with the Shekinah Glory at the dedication of Solomon. (See 2 Kings 21:1-9)
The house of God where they were to turn to and pray and seek God and humble themselves and turn from their wicked ways. And this is going on right in the house of God. Now I want to stop for a minute and I want to ask you a question.
What is your body? If you belong to Jesus Christ, what is your body? Know you not that your body is the what?
The temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you. We belong to God. So as we look at this house of God I want to ask you, Precious One. What is going on in this house? Is it all, all right and shiny on the outside but what is going on inside? What is going on in your mind? What are the affections of your heart? We need to examine ourselves.
Revival comes when we seek a Holy God. And in the presence of a Holy God, we are convicted of sin and righteousness and of judgment. And then seeing our sin we repent.
As they went in to clean the house of God it says, in verse 8 of 2 Kings 22, then, “…Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, I‟ve found the book of the law in the house of [God.]” (2 Kings 22:8) Underline the “book of the law,” circle the “house of God.” What had happened was he had gone in, he was cleaning it out and all of a sudden he found the scroll, he opened the scroll, it was the word of God that had gotten lost in the house of God and thus there was no knowledge of God in the land. There was murder and there was stealing and there was bloodshed and there was violence because the word of God had gotten lost in the house of God.
In Deuteronomy chapter 17, [every king, when he came to power was to sit down and write his own copy of the book of the law. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy so that he might be right before God and that he might know how to lead his people.]
(PARAPHRASE, Deuteronomy 17:18)
Josiah had never had that experience. All he had heard was the voice of a messenger. And yet he was acting on that message to seek God.
[And God says, when you seek me and you search for me with all your heart I will be found]
(PARAPHRASE, Deuteronomy 17:19).
And then it goes on to say in verse 9 that, “Shaphan the scribe came to the king and brought back word to the king.” In verse 10, “Moreover, Shaphan the scribe told the king saying, „Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.‟ And Shaphan read it…,”
(2 Kings 22:9-10)
Underline “it” again. “…Shaphan read “it” in the presence of the king.”
(2 Kings 22:10)
This is a 26 year old man. A 26 year old man that has an ungodly, horrible heritage but has heard the word of God through Zephaniah the prophet and who has been seeking God and for the first time in his life the word of God is read to him.
And it says, and, “…When the king…,” verse 11, “…heard the words of the book…,” he tore his clothes.
[And] … the king commanded Hilkiah the priest…” [And] the men in verse 13, “Go, [and] inquire of the Lord for me and the people [in] all Judah concerning the words of this book...,” he says, “…[It] has been found, for great is the wrath of the Lord that burns against us…,” listen carefully, “…because our fathers have not listened to the words of this book, to do according to all that is written [in it].”
(2 Kings 22:11-13)
These are the very words of God. We’re reading so many books that are written by men. We are listening to so many people that are preaching in the name of Jesus Christ. But are we devouring the word of God?
There are 66 books here, Precious One. And God, if he’s given us 66 books, expects up to know it. And this has to be The Book of books in our life and any other book that takes the place of this book is a shame and a slap in the face of God. Because we’re saying I prefer the words of men to the words of God.
We’ve got to go back The Book. We’ve got to open The Book, we’ve got to read The Book, we’ve got to know that God is calling us to obey every word that comes out of the mouth of God.
He goes on to say,
“[They] went to Huldah the prophetess….” (2 Kings 22:14) [And] “She said to them, „Thus says the Lord…of Israel, Tell the man who sent you to me, thus says the Lord, …I bring evil on this place and all it‟s inhabitants, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read.
(2 Kings 22:15-16)
I am going to judge. I am going to move. It is the righteousness of God that demands and commands the wrath of God, because God cannot overlook sin. And so God says I’m going to judge
“Because they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands, therefore, My wrath burns against this place, and it shall not be quenched.”
(2 Kings 22:17)
It looks like all is lost. It looks like God, in his righteousness and holiness and according to his word, has to move and has to judge. And then it says, but,
“But to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the Lord, [you shall] say to him,] „Thus says the Lord God of Israel, Regarding the words which you have heard, because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you hear what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants that they should become a desolation and curse, and [because] you have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you...‟”
(2 Kings 22:18-19)
And the hand of God’s judgment, and you can read it later, was stayed because there was a man who found the word of God that had gotten lost in the house of God and when he heard it, he responded in a godly sorrow and a genuine repentance and he wept before God. He tore his clothes.
He humbled himself and God saw it. I just want to exhort you and exhort me that we don’t shortchange the word of God, or the power of God but that we return to the precepts of God and that we proclaim them and we proclaim them in season and out of season and that we reprove and we rebuke but we do it with longsuffering and we do it, listen, with doctrine, with solid teaching of the word.
I don’t know how long I have but, I know this, that there is no retirement in the time of war and there is a war going on and we need to be on the front lines and we need to be there with the sword of the spirit which is the word of God.
And I urge you, I urge you, Precious Ones, I urge you with all my being, don’t shortchange the word of God. First of all, in your own life and second, of all in your ministry, in your preaching, in your proclamation you can give them your words which are human words or you can give them the word of God which is divine words. It is the balm of Gilead that we have for the world.
In Psalm 107 verse 20, “He sent His word and healed them…,”
(Psalm 107:20)
and it is the cleansing.
[Now his bride is made clean through the washing of the water of God’s word.]
(PARAPHRASE, Ephesians 5:26)
God’s word it is spirit and it is life. And if you’re not giving them more of the word of God or if you’re substituting it with music all day long, listen, we’ve got to get back to the bedrock because people are being destroyed for a lack of knowledge.
But Daniel 11:32 says this, “…but the people [who] know their God will be strong, and [they will] do exploits.”
(Daniel 11:32)
They will be able to stand firm. And they will be able to take action. How richly does the word of God dwell in you, Beloved? Is his word at home? And if it is, then everything in his temple says holy to the Lord.
May we honor him by hanging on his every word?
And may we return the word of God to our culture so that when our culture hears it, instead of sneering at it, they in turn rend their clothes and humble themselves and cry out to God for mercy and find Jesus.
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