“And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them. It will never be inhabited or lived in for all generations; no Arab will pitch his tent there; no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there” (Isaiah 13:19–20 ESV). Isaiah declared
Chapter: 13
IT IS GOD WHO WILL NOT FORSAKE US
“But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him.” (2 Chronicles 13:10a ESV). Abijah, king of Judah and great-grandson of David, faced overwhelming odds. Though outnumbered 2-to-1 by Jeroboam’s army, he declared Judah’s trust in the Lord. His name means “Yahweh is my Father”—and in this moment, he lived
ACCEPTABLE WORSHIP
“And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he put out his hand to the ark, and he died there before God.” (1 Chronicles 13:10 ESV). Uzzah’s death shocked David and the people of Israel. Though Uzzah may have reached out to steady the Ark with good
GREAT RESULTS OFTEN MARKED BY GREAT RESISTANCE
“The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him” (Acts 13:44-45 ESV). The ministry of Paul and Barnabas was marked by great results and great resistance.
SERVING GOD’S PURPOSE IN OUR GENERATION
“For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers” (Acts 13:36 ESV). The apostle Paul described King David’s life with a powerful summary during his sermon in Pisidian Antioch. He said David “served the purpose of God in his own generation.” Though
JUDGMENT BELONGS TO THE SON OF DAVID
“O altar, altar, thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name, and he shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who make offerings on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.’” (1 Kings 13:2 ESV). This is a stunning prophecy
LOVE IS THE PROOF
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34–35 ESV). As Jesus prepared to leave His disciples, He gave
HUMAN HEROES MAKE US LONG FOR A TRUE SAVIOR
“And the woman bore a son and called his name Samson. And the young man grew, and the Lord blessed him” (Judges 13:24 ESV). Samson was born under extraordinary circumstances. His birth was announced by the Angel of the Lord, his parents obeyed God’s instructions with faith and devotion, and the Lord Himself blessed the
NO LONGER ALONE
“He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease. He is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp” (Leviticus 13:46 ESV). The Lord gave many types of laws to the Jewish people. These laws might be put in three categories: 1) Moral, 2) Ceremonial and 3) Civil. Moral
WHY HAS GOD LED YOU THE LONG WAY AROUND?
“When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near” (Exodus 13:17 ESV). Why did God lead the Israelites the long way around to the Promised Land? He wanted to give them time to grow in their faith before facing warfare with