“25. And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which slew some of them. 26. Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land.”
Israel has fallen into some deep sin. Idol worship is destroying God’s chosen people all across the land. Through God’s anger He brings the king of Assyria down to Samaria to take captive all the children of Israel. At that point the king of Syria brings in different cities that are very wicked to inhabit the land. When you pick up reading here in verse 25 we can see that the wickedness of these foreigners do not belong in the land of Israel. God not only punishes his own children(Israel) for their sin, but now He is also destroying these wicked men from a foreign country. God uses many different ways to correct His children and punish the lost, what we can see in this passage of scripture is that the lion is the tool God uses for destruction. The thought here today is very simple; “the lions.” How did the lions get into the city of Samaria? The Bible says the LORD sent them. How could God send lions? Wouldn’t He have to be in control of them? As these wicked men are destroyed, the rest of the city quickly identifies that these lions are from the God of the land. Not just any god, but the God of creation. As hunters, its easy to get sucked into this world of materialism, but if believers would truly set their affection upon the Lord, their success would be unlimited. Colossians 3:2 “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” When was the last time you told someone about Christ? When was the last time you passed out a gospel tract? When was the last time you went to church? Where are your affections today? II Kings 17 shows us that God always judges sin, but it also shows us that He is in control of all. If God controls the lions, do you think He controls the whitetails? What about the elk, turkey, squirrels, and waterfowl? God loves it when His children desire a relationship with Him, and He rewards His children when they act upon those godly desires. God controls the lions and He also controls your success. Sorry to burst your bubble, but your success is not defined by your bow, boots, or broadheads. Its determined by whether or not God is going to reward you. If he doesn’t want you to kill a big buck this year, you wont. If He doesn’t want you to see a big buck from your stand this year, you wont. If He doesn’t want you to hunt at all this season, there is no way you will. God gave us hunting to enjoy life, whether your the best hunter in the world or the worst, your success is determined by God because there is nothing that He doesn’t control. How is your life as a Christian? Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
Memory Verse Week 9/17/18
Colossians 3:2
“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”
