1. Correcting Sin & Error

5.  Moses was given a pattern for the Tabernacle (Exod. 25:8-9, 25:40).  David was given a pattern for the Temple (1 Chron. 28:11-12, 19).  Jesus and the apostles provide a pattern for the Church (Rom. 6:16-18; 2 Tim. 1:13; Col. 3:17).

6.  Jeroboam’s apostasy, a grievous departure from the truth, was followed by more extensive digressions (1 Kings 12:26-33; Jer. 19:1-6).  Yet, thankfully, there were good kings and faithful prophets, who sought to correct sin and error.

7.  The 3 rd king of Judah (911-870 B.C.), Asa did right in the sight of God, removing the idolatrous altars, and commanding Judah to seek the Lord and to observe the law (2 Chron. 14:1-8).  Later, the prophet Azariah confronted King Asa, challenging him to continue & expand his efforts (2 Chron. 15:1-15, esp. vs. 7-8).

8.  Micah prophesied during the reigns of three kings in Judah: Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.  Filled with the Spirit of the Lord, Micah denounced the corrupt rulers of Israel, along with perverse priests, deceptive diviners, and self-serving seers (Mic. 3:1-12, esp. vs. 8).

9.  Foreshadowing Zion’s happy future, Isaiah speaks to the faithful remnant:  “Say to those with anxious heart, “Take courage, fear not.  Behold, your God will come with vengeance; the recompense of God will come, but He will save you” (Isa. 35:1-10, esp. vs. 3-4).

10.  Are we evidencing courage and conviction in our service to Jesus Christ?  In a world that rejects the concept of absolutes, let us boldly proclaim the right way (Matt. 7:13-14, 21-23).  In an age of relativism, let us recognize the importance of abiding in the doctrine/teaching of Christ (Gal. 1:6-9; 2 John 9).