Wayside Chapel Daily Devotional 31st May 2024

Wayside Chapel Daily Devotional 31st May 2024

5/31 2 Kings 17:17

17 And they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings and used divination and omens and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger.

The lust for wealth and sexual promiscuity is not the only thing we have in common with those the northern tribes of Israel. They also practiced infanticide. They did it to gain the favor of gods that would give them abundant harvests. In other words, they did it for financial reasons. While abortion today is not done to offer the fetus to a god, it is often done for financial reasons. The cost to raise a child is considered. The fee for an abortion is only a tiny fraction of that cost.

The abundance the idol worshiper hoped to gain offered them a freedom in life choices. They could possibly support another wife or a servant. They could then be freed up to enjoy the pleasures of life. This is also what some of today's mothers hope to gain by ending the life of the baby. The baby puts constraints on her freedom, freedom to pursue a spouse, to party, to go to school, etc. In both ancient Israel and today's society, the baby can be seen as a burden instead of a blessing.

Divinations and omens are common as well. Just a block from the church where I worship are store fronts that invite you in with a promise to tell you your future. Perhaps the most discouraging thing of all is that so many do not see the downward slide of our culture. In a recent TV interview with a psychiatrist on the subject, the psychiatrist actually said the morality of the USA is improving. That only tells me what once was considered immoral by Biblical standards, is now considered moral by the world's standards. One nearby high school is known for its sexual freedom, the other for its abundant drug use. The story of these northern tribes tells us where this type of behavior will all end.

Prayer: LORD of heaven and earth, open our eyes to the destruction that is taking place from our own hands as we turn from the truth of Scripture to a substitute that is a lie. Wake us up before we pass the point of no return.

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