About the Author of the Blogsite, Not the Author of the Bible::

About the Author of the Blogsite, Not the Author of the Bible: I was uncertain of how to accomplish this, mindful of Revelation 22:18-19, which says that nobody is to add to, or to take away from what was written in the Bible. After lots of prayerful contemplation, the Lord had it on my heart that I’m not to change the meaning of what is written in the Bible. He has also shown ways to add to people’s understating of that meaning, without altering the meaning, by putting that info within [brackets]. This is primarily accomplished with the KJV Bible and lots of prayers, but at times, BibleGateway.com, Biblehub.com, NIV Bible, Webster Dictionary, and other internet resources, as needed. Debra Seiling

About Understanding the Bible:

Understanding the Bible: After reading Isaiah 28:10 many times over the years and not totally understanding it, it recently became apparent to me that the Lord God has this passage as the means for understanding the Bible. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little. Isaiah 28:10 KJV. Being prayerful about this passage, and looking up 'precept' in the Webster's Dictionary, it gave this passage a whole new meaning, once 'commandment' is substituted for 'precept'. Within brackets are additional words the Lord had on my heart to aid in understanding the meaning. For commandment must be [built up] upon commandment; commandment upon commandment; line upon line, line upon line; [developing understanding] here a little, and there a little.

The Table Format:

The Table Format: I was overwhelmed with how to explain the process for determining if someone had leprosy in Leviticus 13, which seemed very complicated. After praying, "Lord, if this is difficult for me to understand after reading it many times, how can this be explained to others?" The thought the Lord God had on my heart was for me to put it into a vertical chart to visually see the process. This made it much easier for me to follow the progression. After doing so, I prayed, "Lord, how can this be conveyed to readers, so that they can understand this process?" The thought the Lord God had on my heart was to put it within the lines of a table. Being a stiff-necked, stubborn person, as it's often called in the Bible, I prayed, asking the Lord God if He's sure that's really what He wanted me to do? I reluctantly put Leviticus 13 into a table format. When I read this difficult leprosy process within a table format, it suddenly became easier for me to understand. That's because it builds line upon line, as explained in the Understanding the Bible section. Shortly after that, the Lord God had it on my heart, to put all of The Books of the Bible in Smaller Chunks within a table format, to aid in understanding, line upon line.

10/11/2023

2 Kings 17:1-41 The People of Israel Make Extremely Idolatrous Choices

 

The People of Israel Make Extremely Idolatrous Choices

2 Kings 17:1-41                              2 Kings [in Smaller Chunks]

In the 12th year of Ahaz, [that Judah's] king [ruled,] Hoshea, [Elah's] son, began to [rule] over Israel, in Samaria [for] 9 years. And [Hoshea,] did [what] was evil in the sight of the Lord, but not [like] the kings of Israel, that were before him. 

Shalmaneser, [Assyria's] king, came up to attack Hoshea, [who] became his servant & gave him presents. And [Assyria's] king found [out] Hoshea [was involved in the] conspiracy. 

For he had sent messengers to So, [Egypt's] king & [didn't bring presents to Assyria's] king, [like] he had done [each previous] year. Therefore, [Assyria's] king shut [Hoshea] up & bound him in prison. Then, [Assyria's] king came up & [invaded] throughout all the land & went up to Samaria & [attacked] it 3 years.

In the 9th year of Hoshea, [Assyria's] king, [captured] Samaria & carried [up Israelites away captive] into Assyria. And [he] placed them in Halah & in Habor by the River of Gozan & in the cities of the Medes. 

For it [happened, because] the children [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, [Egypt's] king & had feared [respected] other gods. 

And [they] walked in the [mandates] of the heathen, [that] they had made, whom the Lord cast out [of Canaan] before the children [people] of Israel & the kings of Israel. 

And the children [people] of Israel secretly did those things, that weren’t right & [were] against the Lord their God. And they built [themselves] high places in all their cities, from the [Watchman's] Tower to the fenced city. 

And they set up images & groves [for themselves] in every high hill & under every green tree. And they burnt incense there in all the high places, [like] the heathen did, whom the Lord carried away [from Canaan] before the [Israelites.] 

And [they did] wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger. For they served idols, [even though] the Lord had said to them, You shall not do this thing.

[Still,] the Lord testified against Israel & Judah, by all the prophets & seers, saying, Turn [away] from your evil ways & keep My commandments & My [mandates,] according to all the [Laws that] I commanded your [forefathers.]

And [what] I sent to you by My servants, the prophets. [But] they wouldn't [listen,] but they hardened their necks, like the necks of their [forefathers, who didn't] believe in the Lord their God. 

And they rejected the [Lord God's mandates,] His covenant [contract] that He made with their [forefathers] & His testimonies [that the Lord] testified against them. And they followed [what was] vanity & became [arrogant] & [followed] after the heathen [around] them.

[Of] whom, the Lord had [warned about] them, [so] that they shouldn't do like [those nations.] 

And they [abandoned] all [of] the Lord their [God's] commandments & made [molded] images, even 2 [gold] calves & made a grove.

And [they] worshiped all the [hosts] of heaven, [a.k.a. stars & constellations] & served Baal. And they [made] their sons & daughters to pass through the fire. 

And [they] used divination & enchantments & sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger. Therefore, the Lord was very angry with Israel & removed them out of His sight! 

There were none left, but only the tribe of Judah was left. Also, Judah [didn't keep] the commandments of the Lord their God, but [followed in the mandates that] Israel [had] made. 

And the Lord rejected all the [descendants] of Israel & afflicted them & delivered them into the hand of the [plunderers] until He had cast them from His sight. For the [Lord God tore] Israel from the house of David & they made Jeroboam, [Nebat's] son, king.

Jeroboam [led Israel astray] from following the Lord & made them sin [tremendously.] [1 Kings 12:28-30 [Upon which] king [Jeroboam] took counsel & made 2 calves of gold & said to [the Israelites,] It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem [to sacrifice.] 

[See,] your gods, O Israel [that] brought you up out of the land of Egypt. And [Jeroboam put] the one in BethEl & he put up the other in Dan. And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even to Dan.]

For the children [people] of Israel [followed] in all the sins [that] Jeroboam [did] & they [didn't] depart from them. So, Israel was carried away [captive from] their own land to Assyria to this day, [because] the Lord removed Israel from His sight [like] He had said by all His prophets [to warn them.]

And [Assyria's] king brought men from Babylon & Cuthah, Ava, Hamath, Sepharvaim & placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the [people] of Israel. They lived in [it] & possessed Samaria & [its] cities. [When they 1st lived] there, they [didn't fear] [respect] the Lord.

Therefore, the Lord sent lion's among them, [that killed] some of them. [For this reason,] they spoke to [Assyria's] king, saying, The nations you have removed & you have [resettled] in the cities of Samaria, [don't] know the [customs] of the God of the land. 

Therefore, [God] has sent lions among them & [look, the lions kill] them, because they [don't] know the [customs] of the God of the land.

Then, [Assyria's] king commanded, saying, [Take] 1 of the priests, whom you brought from there & let [him live] there & teach them the [customs] of the God of the land.

Then, one of the priests, whom they had carried away from Samaria, came & [lived] in BethEl & taught them how they should fear [respect] the Lord.

[However,] in every nation & in the cities where they [lived, they] made gods of their own & put them in the houses [in] the high places [that] the Samaritans had made.

And the men of Babylon made the Succoth Benoth & the men of Cuth made Nergal & the men of Hamath made Ashima & the Avites made Nibhaz & Tarkak.

And the Sepharvites burnt their children in fire to Adrammelech & Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. 

So, they feared [respected] the Lord & [also] made [for] themselves, the lowest of [people, the] priests [who] sacrificed for them in the high places. 

They feared [respected] the Lord & [also] served their own gods [like the customs] of the nations, [where they had been captive.] 

To this day, they [continue to] do their former [customs] & they [don't] fear [respect] the Lord, [nor] do they [follow the Lord's mandates, rules, laws & commandments that] the Lord [God] commanded the children [people] of Jacob, whom He named Israel.

With whom the Lord had made a covenant [contract & ordered] them, saying, You shall not fear [respect] other gods, nor bow yourselves [down] to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them.

But the Lord, Who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power & an [outstretched] arm, you shall [only] fear [respect] & worship Him. You shall [make sacrifices only] to Him.

You shall [obey &] do the [mandates, rules, laws & commandments] forever, [that] He wrote for you. You shall not fear [respect] other gods & you shall not forget the covenant [contract] I have made with you. 

Neither shall you fear [respect] other gods. But [only] fear [respect] the Lord your God & He shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies.

[However] they [didn't pay attention,] but they did like [their previous customs.] So, [while] these nations feared [respected] the Lord, they, their children & [grandchildren also] served their [carved] images, as did their [forefathers & they continue] to do so [until] this day.