Good Doctrine, Good Practice
Good Doctrine, Good Practice
It is a legitimate concern of God that His people will maintain Good Doctrine, for Good Doctrine is essential for Good Practice.
"19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen" (Matthew 28:19-20).
Throughout the history of the people of God, we can see a pattern of Truth discovered, lived, perpetuated, lost, miserably lost, forgotten, then rediscovered, only for the process to be repeated again. What a joy to see Judah's King Jehoshaphat understand the Doctrine of Faith, then trust the LORD, only to emerge victorious-- without any human effort-- over a vastly superior, invading enemy!
"12 O our God, wilt Thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon Thee.
20 And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe His prophets, so shall ye prosper.
22 And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.
24 And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the Earth, and none escaped" (2Chronicles 20:12, 20, 22, 24).
Good King Hezekiah's son, Manasseh-- later called by Biblical historians the Nero of Palestine-- assumed the throne from his father. Quickly, he did evil, forgetting the Covenants and Doctrines of the LORD.
"2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.
9 But they hearkened not: and Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel" (2Kings 21:2, 9). God, in His mercy, motivated Esarhaddon, King of Assyria to conquer, imprison, and afflict Manasseh, which in turn, caused Manasseh to humble himself into heartfelt submission to the Living God!
"11 Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.
12 And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers,
13 And prayed unto Him: and He was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD He was God" (2Chronicles 33:11-13).
And, we become elated when we read that another Saint of God was successful in reviving the cause of the Everlasting God and the Doctrine of Obedience, when King Josiah tore down the images of Baal, restored the worship of the Temple, and rediscovered the Book of the Law of God.
"8 And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.
10 And Shaphan the scribe shewed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.
11 And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the Book of the Law, that he rent his clothes.
13 Go ye, enquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us" (2Kings 22:8, 10, 11, 13).
"And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the LORD their God. And all his days they departed not from following the LORD, the God of their fathers" (2Chronicles 34:33).
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