Theme: CHRISTIANITY AND CULTURE
Text: “Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God.” – Leviticus 18:30.
Comment: Professed Christians, should not, in the name of maintaining their cultural heritage, involve themselves in ancestor worship, and observe rituals for various gods. It is common knowledge that some persons spend large amounts of money, sometimes even tax payers’ money, for rituals to get appointments, protect themselves while in office and to secure their positions.
The Bible says that Manasseh, king of Judah, did “worse than the heathen, whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel” in that he worshipped “all the host of heaven, caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom, observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards”. He even placed an idol in the house of God in Jerusalem.
The good thing was that when God Almighty chastised him by allowing him to be carried captive by the king of Assyria, he humbled himself, seeing that the gods he trusted could not help him in any way. For the rest of his life he served God diligently. (2 Chronicles 33:1-20) Those still given to idolatry and spiritism should learn from the example of King Manasseh and turn to God now before it is too late. See Ezekiel 18:14-18, 21-32.
Theme: COMMENTARY ON HEBREWS 11:32 - 40
Text:“For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, Wherefore dost thou prophesy, and say, Thus saith Jehovah, Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it.” – Jeremiah 32:3.
Comment: Because the king and people of Judah had given themselves to the worship of the devil, God Almighty used Jeremiah the prophet to warn them, telling them that if they would not repent, He would make Jerusalem and the temple they took pride in to suffer the fate of Shiloh, where the name of God was in earlier times before it was destroyed and abandoned. (Joshua 18:1; 19:51; 1Kings 14:2.) For warning the people against sin the leaders determined that Jeremiah must die. (Jeremiah 26:1-10) However, some of the elders, together with Ahikam, an officer of the king, intervened to prevent them from their wicked plot.
Again, when the Chaldeans besieged Jerusalem, Jeremiah was instructed by God to tell them to submit to their rule to avoid death and destruction. This was seen as treason for which the leaders of the people convinced King Zedekiah to cast Jeremiah into.a well. But God also delivered him. When we stand up for the truth, even in the face of danger, God will give us victory in the end. St. Paul in his writings recalled God delivered them “from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us” (2 Corinthians 1:10).. He added that God Almighty shall deliver him “from every evil work, and will preserve him unto his heavenly kingdom. – 2 Timothy 4:18