The sins of Israel - the Northern Kingdom

6 In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria; he carried the Israelites away to Assyria. He placed them in Halah, on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
7This occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

• They had worshipped other gods
• 8 and walked in the customs of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel, and in the customs that the kings of Israel had introduced.
• 9 The people of Israel secretly did things that were not right against the LORD their God.
• They built for themselves high places at all their towns, from watch-tower to fortified city;
• 10 they set up for themselves pillars and sacred poles on every high hill and under every green tree;
• 11 there they made offerings on all the high places, as the nations did whom the LORD carried away before them.
• They did wicked things, provoking the LORD to anger;
• 12 they served idols, of which the LORD had said to them, ‘You shall not do this.’

13 Yet the LORD warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying, ‘Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, in accordance with all the law that I commanded your ancestors and that I sent to you by my servants the prophets.’

• 14 They would not listen but were stubborn, as their ancestors had been, who did not believe in the LORD their God.
• 15 They despised his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their ancestors, and the warnings that he gave them.
• They went after false idols and became false;
• they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the LORD had commanded them that they should not do as they did.
• 16 They rejected all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves cast images of two calves;
• they made a sacred pole, worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.
• 17 They made their sons and their daughters pass through fire;
• they used divination and augury;

and they sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger. 18 Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight; none was left but the tribe of Judah alone.
2 Kings 17:6 - 18  New Revised Standard Version

The city on a hill named after Shemer

There is a brief acccount in chapter 16 of First Kings about the origin of the name of Samaria.

In verses 23 and 24, we read that Captain Omri, the sixth king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, who after reigning six years from the city of Tirzah, went on to buy over a hill from an owner called Shemer and built a city on this hill.

Omri named this hill city Samaria, after Shemer, the name of the previous owner. Omri reigned another six years from the city of Samaria before he died and was buried in Samaria. His son Ahab succeeded him. (1 Kings 16:28)

23 In the thirty and first year of Asa king of Judah began Omri to reign over Israel, [and reigned] twelve years: six years reigned he in Tirzah.
24 And he bought the hill Samaria of Shemer for two talents of silver; and he built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built, after the name of Shemer, the owner of the hill, Samaria.
1 Kings 16:23 - 24  American Standard Version

Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise

The first chapter of First Timothy contains a short Doxology giving honour and glory to our God as the Eternal King, the immortal God, the invisible God, and the Only Wise God.

Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Timothy 1:17  King James Version

This verse is used in the opening line of the 19th Century Hymn entitled, "Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise", lyrics below:

---

Hymn, written by Walter C Smith, 1867

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise.

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might;
Thy justice like mountains high soaring above
Thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.

To all life Thou givest, to both great and small;
In all life Thou livest, the true life of all;
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
And wither and perish, but nought changeth Thee.

Great Father of Glory, pure Father of Light
Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight;
All laud we would render, O help us to see:
’Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee.

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise.

Blessings from our Lord Iesus himself . . .

Today is the Sixth Day of the Biblical Week. It is Preparation Day. Let us finish all our tasks for the week and prepare to enter into a time of Sabbath Rest beginning at sunset this evening.

Most of the benedictions found in the Epistles are pronouncements of blessings from God our Father in heaven. For example, towards the end of 1 Thessalonians, the Apostle pronounced a blessing of sanctification from the "God of Peace", to keep the Thessalonian brethren sound and blameless at the coming of the Lord Iesus the Anointed One.

May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:23  New Revised Standard Version

In Second Thessalonians, however, the Apostle wrote a benediction for blessings from our Lord Iesus himself, together with God our Father, to comfort and strengthen the hearts of the Thessalonian brethren "in every good work and word".

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, 17comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.
2 Thessalonians 2:16 - 17  New Revised Standard Version

Likewise, Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One, let us bless one another with blessings from our Lord Iesus himself, that our hearts may be comforted and strengthened in good works and good words.

Always wrestling in prayer

In Colossians chapter 4, we read about Epaphras, a servant of the Lord Iesus who continually wrestled in prayers on behalf of the Colossian brethren. He prayed for them that they would stand mature, that they would be fully assured in everything according to the will of God.

Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you. He is always wrestling in his prayers on your behalf, so that you may stand mature and fully assured in everything that God wills.
Colossians 4:12  New Revised Standard Version

Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One, let us pray like Epaphras. Let us always intercede for one another, that we may also stand mature and be fully assured in all things that God wills.

Man looks at outward appearances, God looks at the heart

Verse 6 in 1 Samuel chapter 16 tells us that Samuel, having been sent to the house of Jesse the Ephrathite of Bethlehem Judah to anoint one of his sons to be King, looked at Eliab son of Jesse and said, "Surely the LORD's anointed is before Him".

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t look on his face, or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for I don’t see as man sees. For man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7  World English Bible, British Edition

Then Jesse called Abinadab, followed by Shammah, and one by one altogether seven of his eight sons passed before Samuel the prophet.

None of them were chosen by the LORD.

It turned out that the chosen son was the youngest, who was herding sheep outside in the pastures. Verse 12 tells us that this young man had a youthful looking handsome appearance and did not look anything like a king, but the LORD told Samuel,

"Arise! Anoint him, for this is he."

He sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with a handsome face and good appearance. The LORD said, “Arise! Anoint him, for this is he.”
1 Samuel 16:12  World English Bible

Nobody knew that David was well trained for war. David went through combat training while herding his father's flocks of sheep. I wrote a commentary on this about thirteen years ago, link below:

• Combat training

More recently, about six months ago, I wrote about the trust that David had in the LORD, that just as the LORD had saved him from bears and lions which he fought off with his bare hands, the LORD would also save him from the giant Goliath whom he fought without sword nor shield:

• David fought without sword and without shield

Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One, people around us may look at us and judge us only by our outward appearance. God, however, looks at our hearts.

Today, let us ask ourselves, "What does God see in my heart?"

A Name of Wonder: it is Incomprehensible

In chapter 13 of the book of Judges we read about Manoah from the tribe of Dan whose wife was barren. One day, Manoah asked the Angel of the LORD who had appeared to him and his wife to assure them that they will have a child (Samson),

"What is your name?"

The Angel told Manoah that his name was "incomprehensible" (verse 18, WEB).

The KJV renders "incomprehensible" as "wonderful", while the GNB says, "It is a name of wonder".

17 Manoah said to the LORD’s angel, “What is your name, that when your words happen, we may honour you?”
18 The LORD’s angel said to him, “Why do you ask about my name, since it is incomprehensible*?”
Judges 13:17 - 18  World English Bible (British Edition)

If the name of the Angel of the LORD is too wonderful to be mentioned and too diificult for us to comprehend, how much more wonderful and incomprehensible is the Name of the LORD Himself. This could be the reason why nobody knows with certainty the exact pronunciation of the Name of God written in the Tetragrammaton consonants "yod-hey-vav-hey" or YHWH.

Until today, the people of Israel will say "Adonai" (LORD) or "HaShem" (the Name) whenever they come across the Tetragrammaton in the TaNaKh (Torah, Neviim, Khetuvim: Law, Prophets, Writings).

In the New Testament, our Lord Iesus the Anointed One taught His disciples to call God, "the Father".

Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One. The name of the Angel who appeared to Samson's parents was incomprehensible. It was too wonderful to be mentioned. Likewise, the Name of our God is a Name of Wonder, too wonderful for us to say, and too profound for us to comprehend.

Like our Lord Iesus, let us call God our Father in Heaven.

What kind of house will you build for God?

In my reading of Acts chapter 7 today, I am reminded of the words of the martyr Stephen who told the Sanhedrin that although David obtained favour from the LORD to build a temple to replace the Tabernacle, a task which was subsequently carried out by his son Solomon, the Most High does not dwell in buildings made by the hands of men.

Quoting from Isaiah chapter 66, Stephen point out that heaven is the throne of God, and the earth is a footstool for His feet, that in fact the entire universe is formed by the Hand of God.

"What kind of house will you build for me?" Stephen asked, quoting Isaiah 66:1

44 'Our forefathers had the Tent of the Testimony in the Desert, built as He who spoke to Moses had instructed him to make it in imitation of the model which he had seen.
45 That Tent was bequeathed to the next generation of our forefathers. Under Joshua they brought it with them when they were taking possession of the land of the Gentile nations, whom God drove out before them. So it continued till David's time.
46 David obtained favour with God, and asked leave to provide a dwelling-place for the God of Jacob.
47 But it was Solomon who built a house for Him.
48 Yet the Most High does not dwell in buildings erected by men's hands. But, as the Prophet declares,
49 'The sky is My throne, and earth is the footstool for My feet. What kind of house will you build for Me, says the Lord, or what resting place shall I have?
50 Did not My hand form this universe.'
Acts 7:44 - 50  Weymouth New Testament

1 Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?
2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
Isaiah 66:1 - 2  King James Version

Brothers and Sisters in the Lord Iesus the Anointed One, let us pause and ponder over the greatness of God Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth. Let us remember that Heaven is the Throne of God, and Earth is a footstool for His Feet.