DOCSLIB.ORG

Isaiah 36:1-22 the Assyrian Invasion 5/16/2021 on Our

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Isaiah 36:1-22 the Assyrian Invasion 5/16/2021 on Our Isaiah 36:1-22 The Assyrian Invasion 5/16/2021 On our currency in America are the words “In God we trust.” It is interesting and ironic that that saying should appear on our money. Because so many Americans now trust in money rather than God, and have done so for some time. In whom do you trust? In this country, when we are sick, we are told to trust in our doctors, or the CDC. When catastrophe strikes, we are learning to trust in the government. Athletes and counselors will tell us to trust in ourselves. Inside is the strength we need. But when health and money and government fail… and when we ourselves fail… in whom do we trust? This world does not have an answer for that. It just says to go back to your money and doctors and government… or try yourself again. And, then you get to the end of life, when all these things are obviously insufficient, and what then? Is it not obvious that this world is only covering for its lack of answers to life’s most important challenges? The world says that money will make you happy, success will make you happy, health will make you happy… That a car will make you happy, or a house, or a boat, or winning a championship, or lots of friends. That what you really need is a break, a long vacation, or a sense of peace and security. This world lies to you. In whom do you trust? In the year 930 BC Israel split into two kingdoms and suffered the beginnings of a civil war. The result was Israel in the north and Judah in the south, Jerusalem as its capital. 200 years later Isaiah began his prophetic ministry in Jerusalem in the year that King Uzziah died, 740 BC. His ministry continued through the reigns of the kings Jotham, Ahaz, and then Hezekiah. Isaiah would serve God as His prophet in Jerusalem for around 50 years. Jotham reigned only about 5 years before Ahaz became king. Upon ascending to the throne in Jerusalem, Ahaz was confronted by a military crisis. Israel, allied with Damascus, was making plans to conquer little Judah. They got as far as the gates of Jerusalem when Ahaz, rather than trusting in the Lord, Sent letters to Assyria and Egypt requesting help. 2 Kings 16:7-9 The Assyrian king, Tiglath-Pileser, attacks Damascus and annexes it. The attack on Jerusalem is over. Ahaz has now allied himself with Assyria. 2 Kings 16:10-13 So he adds an altar to Moloch to the Temple. Then Tiglath-Pileser dies, and Sargon II becomes king of Assyria. He continues to menace Israel. The population of the northern kingdom is exiled, exported, and resettled. (2 Kings 17) Sargon II dies violently in battle after about 10 years and Sennacherib becomes king over Assyria. About 35 years into Isaiah’s ministry, Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, becomes king in Judah. Hezekiah, while growing up, has seen the northern kingdom destroyed by Assyria… and he has seen his father worshipping the Assyrian gods in the Temple in Jerusalem. All these years, as we have been reading in this book, Isaiah has been warning Ahaz and now Hezekiah. Isaiah has been telling the people of Israel that they have left their Lord, Yahweh Elohim. They have rebelled against God their Father. They have broken the commandments of His covenant. They have become corrupted by the world and the false gods and fake worship. Isaiah has been saying over and over that God is going to bring Assyria to destroy them for their sin. Isaiah has been urging a remnant of God’s people to listen and trust in their God. Isaiah has prophesied the eventual coming of a Messiah who will rescue them from their sins and the world. Now, finally, there is a king in Jerusalem who will listen. 2 Kings 18:1-12 But, through Isaiah, the Lord has said that He is coming in wrath to visit His people. Assyria is His instrument. I. God said what He would do, and He did what He said. Isaiah 36:1-3 We learn from 2 Kings 18 that the first thing that Hezekiah does is to try to buy the Assyrians off. He gives them all the silver in the Temple and the golden doors. But that only makes Sennacherib more interested. The world is a lying, greedy place. It is a horrible moment for Judah and God’s people look like they are in a terrible place. And they are here because of what they have done, years of disobedience, corruption, and rebellion. And, when God speaks, He means what He says. Over and over in the Bible God says what He will do, does what He says, and then tells us what He did. You might think that even though God warns us about sin… greed, sensuality, lies, gossip, idolatry… It seems like He is not doing a thing, that His warnings are just so much wind and amount to nothing. Like ancient Israel and Judah, we live in a society that is full of more and more corruption. People think that because the standards around us seem to have changed… We have redefined marriage, made all sorts of extramarital sexual activity normal. We have legalized the slaughter of unborn people we don’t want. We have promoted the idea that greed is good and makes society go. We have normalized debt and gambling and all kinds of misinformation if it serves a greater purpose. If it feels right, no matter what God says, that makes it right. Morality is driven by our desires. And so, we think, that God’s standards have changed. After all, He’d better catch up with the times… or else… well… we won’t believe in Him anymore. But God is still God. He speaks truth. You cannot escape the righteous hand of almighty God. So, the people of Jerusalem find themselves in a pickle. Worse than a pickle, they stand on the edge of destruction. There is no escape. The judgment of God has arrived at their door. It will happen for us someday as well. God says so. And, even at this moment, the fear and the lies are louder than ever. II. The world says that we are weak and powerless. Isaiah 36:4-10 Do you hear the nature of this taunt from the messenger of Assyria, Rabshakeh? “In whom do you trust?” This world hates it when you do not go along and do what it says. “Submit,” says the world. Then this world seeks to terrify you or seduce you into submission. He begins by saying that if they trust in their alliances, in Egypt, they will only hurt themselves. True enough. Next in Rabshakeh’s taunt we have what one would call spin. But it is spin without understanding. Rabshakeh knows that Hezekiah has eliminated most of Judah’s high places and religious shrines. Many of these were devoted to the Lord (and other gods as well). Rabshakeh has been educated by the world and so he thinks this has reduced Hezekiah’s favor with God. How wrong he is. Yahweh never approved of these high places. He commanded that they be torn down. The one God mandated that worship of Him be performed in one place, the Temple. This was to avoid just the sort of idolatry that Rabshakeh thinks is normal. Next, he invites the people of Jerusalem to trust in the king of Assyria, the most powerful guy on earth. This is nothing short of intimidation, meant to maximize the effect of fear. This would be like the hens trusting the fox to protect them… but there is a lot of that in the world. Moreover, these words exemplify the principal attack of this world upon followers of God. “If you do not deny the Lord and trust in us and what we say we will hurt you.” This shows up in many different creative and not-so-creative ways. “If you do not agree with us about evolution, we will cause you to get fired.” “If you do not bake the cake that the LGBTQ people tell you to bake, we will take you to court.” “If you don’t shut up about Jesus and the Gospel, we will humiliate you publicly.” “If you keep talking about sin, we are going to have you hauled off to jail for hate speech.” Fear is the language the world uses to force people into its mold, to conform us into its image. What is the right response for the one who trusts in the Lord? Matthew 10:16-39 So, we have seen truth, spin, intimidation, fear… and finally distortion of God’s own words. In verse 10 it is apparent that Rabshakeh has been listening to Isaiah. He knows that the prophet has said that the Lord God has appointed Assyria to punish Judah. So, he tells them that they had might as well submit to the God-approved subjugation. This is, however, not what God would want… and why it is so important to know God’s Word. The Lord, in every situation, desires repentance and faith. Always. This is part of the great theme of the Bible. Not giving in to the world… but turning from sin and trusting God. This is the right way. But this is the very thing that the world hates and fears. III. The world says not to listen to or trust in the Lord.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Attitudes Towards Linguistic Diversity in the Hebrew Bible
    Many Peoples of Obscure Speech and Difficult Language: Attitudes towards Linguistic Diversity in the Hebrew Bible The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters Citation Power, Cian Joseph. 2015. Many Peoples of Obscure Speech and Difficult Language: Attitudes towards Linguistic Diversity in the Hebrew Bible. Doctoral dissertation, Harvard University, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Citable link http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:23845462 Terms of Use This article was downloaded from Harvard University’s DASH repository, and is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http:// nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of- use#LAA MANY PEOPLES OF OBSCURE SPEECH AND DIFFICULT LANGUAGE: ATTITUDES TOWARDS LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY IN THE HEBREW BIBLE A dissertation presented by Cian Joseph Power to The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the subject of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations Harvard University Cambridge, Massachusetts August 2015 © 2015 Cian Joseph Power All rights reserved. Dissertation Advisor: Professor Peter Machinist Cian Joseph Power MANY PEOPLES OF OBSCURE SPEECH AND DIFFICULT LANGUAGE: ATTITUDES TOWARDS LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY IN THE HEBREW BIBLE Abstract The subject of this dissertation is the awareness of linguistic diversity in the Hebrew Bible—that is, the recognition evident in certain biblical texts that the world’s languages differ from one another. Given the frequent role of language in conceptions of identity, the biblical authors’ reflections on language are important to examine.
    [Show full text]
  • 15. Bible Marking
    LESSON FIFTEEN Hezekiah: The Challenge from Assyria Quote: “He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses.” 2 Kings 18:5, 6 Bible Marking Hezekiah - 2 Kings 18 2 Kings 18:1 - “Hezekiah” - Means “strengthened of Yahweh”. It was only through Yahweh’s strength that the reformation was accomplished, that Hezekiah was healed, and that Assyria was defeated. So great was Hezekiah, that we are given 3 records of his life (Kings, Chronicles and Isaiah). A Reformation on Divine Principles Mark above & “Ahaz” - Means “possessor”, ie. a selfish man, below 2 Kg 18 who was Judah’s worst king Ahaz had given himself over to idolatry, following the examples of those who had left the truth (2 Chron 28:1-2), and 2 Kings 18:2 - “Abi” - The margin has - ‘Abijah, of the world in general (2 Kg 16:3, 10-11). He therefore made 2 Chron 29:1’. “Abijah” means “Yah is Father”. Judah “naked” in the sight of Yahweh, and “transgressed sore She appears to be the inspiration for Hezekiah to against Yahweh” (2 Chron 28:19). Now Hezekiah brought devote his life to the service of Yahweh. See about a reformation upon Divine principles. He turned the Prov 22:6. people back to Yahweh and His Word and to the Pioneers of “Zachariah” - Means “Yahweh hath remembered” the truth (David, Asaph and Gad and Nathan etc).
    [Show full text]
  • The Enigmatic Rabshakeh
    THE SIEGE OF JERUSALEM: PART II: THE ENIGMATIC RABSHAKEH GABRIEL A. SIVAN THE RABSHAKEH'S PROPAGANDIST HARANGUE After departing from Sennacherib's headquarters at Lachish, his envoys march up to Jerusalem at the head of "a large force," intent on overawing Hezekiah and compelling him to surrender. They find the city gates closed before them and promptly have the entire vicinity reconnoitered to find the 1 most suitable place for their camp. The three envoys then approach the city walls and call upon the Judean guards to inform King Hezekiah that they have brought him a message from Sennacherib. Declining to meet them, Hezekiah sends three envoys of his own instead – Eliakim the chamberlain, Shebnah the scribe, and Joah the recorder. Up to this point, the Bible indicates that the Assyrian officials act and speak as one man. The Rabshakeh now emerges as Sennacherib's chief representa- tive, beginning his lengthy message with a deliberate insult. "You tell Heze- kiah" (not "King Hezekiah"), he says, "the words of the Great King, the King of Assyria…" (II Kgs. 18:19). The ensuing diatribe is a remarkable example of psychological warfare. "In a succession of arguments – using terror, ridi- cule, promises, slanted information and 'logical' proof of the futility of it all," 2 the Rabshakeh tries to break the defenders' will to resist. A skilled propagandist, the Rabshakeh mocks Hezekiah's reliance on the intervention of Egypt's pharaoh, "that splintered reed," whose army of chari- 3 ots, horsemen and archers Sennacherib has overcome. Anticipating the Ju- dean envoys' response, that they will put their trust in the Lord, he asks whether this is not the same God whom Hezekiah has surely offended by abolishing the local places of worship in favor of one altar in Jerusalem.
    [Show full text]
  • 1-And-2 Kings
    FROM DAVID TO EXILE 1 & 2 Kings by Daniel J. Lewis © copyright 2009 by Diakonos, Inc. Troy, Michigan United States of America 2 Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................................... 4 Composition and Authorship ...................................................................................................................... 5 Structure ..................................................................................................................................................... 6 Theological Motifs ..................................................................................................................................... 7 The Kingship of Solomon (1 Kings 1-11) .....................................................................................................13 Solomon Succeeds David as King (1:1—2:12) .........................................................................................13 The Purge (2:13-46) ..................................................................................................................................16 Solomon‟s Wisdom (3-4) ..........................................................................................................................17 Building the Temple and the Palace (5-7) .................................................................................................20 The Dedication of the Temple (8) .............................................................................................................26
    [Show full text]
  • Hezekiah's Prayer 2 Kings 18-19 Characters: Narrator, Sennacherib
    1 Hezekiah’s Prayer 2 Kings 18-19 Characters: Narrator, Sennacherib, Isaiah, Hezekiah, Messenger Narrator: God’s land had been split into two kingdoms—Israel and Judah. Israel had been ruled by very unfaithful kings, and none of the Israelites had believed in God anymore. Judah had once been ruled by Ahaz, who was a very sinful king, and had built false altars around the kingdom. When his son Hezekiah became king, Hezekiah ruled that all the false idols be burned. Hezekiah: I decree that all the false idols be burned! Also, I order that the bronze serpent Moses built be destroyed, as the people have started worshipping it as a god. The people will only worship the one true God, the Lord! Narrator: God found favor with Hezekiah for destroying all of the idols in the land. Sometime during Hezekiah’s reign, the Assyrians came and conquered the land of Israel. God allowed Israel to be conquered because they had stopped worshipping Him. Soon, the Assyrians began to attack cities in Judah. Sennacherib, the King of Assyria, sent a messenger to Hezekiah telling him to surrender. Messenger: Sennacherib has ordered me to give you this message. He orders you to surrender, and pay tribute to him, and he will not destroy Judah. He demands 11 tons of silver and 1 ton of gold. If you do not pay his demands, he will destroy you and all of your people. Hezekiah: What choice do I have? I will pay his tribute. Get all of the gold and silver in the kingdom.
    [Show full text]
  • Scope and Sequence Overview
    9 Scope and Sequence Overview Unit Lesson Reference 1. Approaching the Old Testament Introduction 2. The One Big Story Introduction 3. Preparing to Read God's Word Introduction 4. God Creates the World Genesis 1 5. A Mission for Humanity Genesis 1–2 6. The Fall into Sin Genesis 3 Unit 1 7. Sin Grows Worse: The Flood Genesis 4–11 The Pentateuch: God Chooses 8. God Begins Redemption through Israel Genesis 11–12 Israel to Be His Redeemed People 9. God Covenants with Abram Genesis 15 10. Abraham's Faith Is Tested Genesis 22:1–19 11. Jacob Inherits the Promise Genesis 27–28 12. Jacob Wrestles with God Genesis 32–33 13. Joseph: God Meant It for Good Genesis 37; 39–41 14. Joseph's Brothers Are Reconciled Genesis 42–45 1. Israel Enslaved in Egypt Exodus 1:1—2:10 2. God Calls Moses Exodus 2:11—4:31 3. God Redeems Israel in the Exodus Exodus 11:1–12:39; 13–14 Unit 2 4. Passover: A Redemption Meal Exodus 12; 14:1—15:21 The Pentateuch: God Redeems 5. Israel in the Wilderness Exodus 15:22—17:16 Israel and Expects Covenant 6. Sinai: God Gives His Law Exodus 19–20 Loyalty 7. God Dwells with His People Exodus 25–40 8. Leviticus: Rules for Holy Living Leviticus 1; 16; 23:9–14 9. Numbers: Judgment and Mercy Numbers 13:17—14:45; 20:1–13; 21:4–8 10. Deuteronomy: Love the Lord! Deuteronomy 28–34 1. Conquering the Promised Land Joshua 1–12 2.
    [Show full text]
  • 2 Kings 18-19
    Lesson 12 – 2 Kings 18-19 Text: 2 Kings 18-19; 2 Chronicles 32; Isaiah 36-37 Main Characters: God, Hezekiah, Sennacherib, Rabshakeh Key Passages: - 2 Kings 18:5-7 – Hezekiah was successful because of his faith in the Lord, who prospered him. - 2 Kings 19:32-36 – God promised that He would defend His people, and so He did. Main Storyline: Following Ahaz’s death, his son, Hezekiah, became king over Judah. Knowing that the Assyrian threat was imminent, Hezekiah made careful preparations to try to protect the land. He had many fortifications built, raised an army, and had many provisions made for the soldiers. He also hoped that the Egyptian army would come support them in the event of an Assyrian invasion. One of the most important things that Hezekiah did in preparation for the Assyrian invasion was to stop up a spring called the Gihon, which flowed out of a cave just outside the city of Jerusalem. He had the spring diverted through an extensive tunnel called the Siloam Tunnel which allowed the water to emerge in the Pool of Siloam, which was inside Jerusalem. This deprived any invaders (such as the Assyrians) of water while giving the citizens of Jerusalem constant access to fresh water. When Assyria began its invasion of Judah, Hezekiah refused to submit to Assyria as many others had done. The king of Assyria, Sennacherib, then attacked and captured many of the fortified cities of Judah. After the cities started to fall to Assyria, Hezekiah pled with Sennacherib to stop his assault, and, in exchange, Hezekiah promised that he would do anything.
    [Show full text]
  • What Did King Josiah Reform?
    Chapter 17 What Did King Josiah Reform? Margaret Barker King Josiah changed the religion of Israel in 623 BC. According to the Old Testament account in 2 Kings 23, he removed all manner of idolatrous items from the temple and purified his kingdom of Canaanite practices. Temple vessels made for Baal, Asherah, and the host of heaven were removed, idolatrous priests were deposed, the Asherah itself was taken from the temple and burned, and much more besides. An old law book had been discovered in the temple, and this had prompted the king to bring the religion of his kingdom into line with the requirements of that book (2 Kings 22:8–13; 2 Chronicles 34:14–20).1 There could be only one temple, it stated, and so all other places of sacrificial worship had to be destroyed (Deuteronomy 12:1–5). The law book is easily recognizable as Deuteronomy, and so King Josiah’s purge is usually known as the Deuteronomic reform of the temple. In 598 BC, twenty-five years after the work of Josiah, Jerusalem was attacked by the Babylonians under King Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings 24:10– 16; 25:1–9); eleven years after the first attack, they returned to destroy the city and the temple (586 BC). Refugees fled south to Egypt, and we read in the book of Jeremiah how they would not accept the prophet’s interpretation of the disaster (Jeremiah 44:16–19). Jeremiah insisted that Jerusalem had fallen because of the sins of her people, but the refugees said it had fallen because of Josiah.
    [Show full text]
  • Notes on 2 Kings 202 1 Edition Dr
    Notes on 2 Kings 202 1 Edition Dr. Thomas L. Constable Second Kings continues the narrative begun in 1 Kings. It opens with the translation of godly Elijah to heaven and closes with the transportation of the ungodly Jews to Babylon. For discussion of title, writer, date, scope, purpose, genre, style, and theology of 2 Kings, see the introductory section in my notes on 1 Kings. OUTLINE (Continued from notes on 1 Kings) 3. Ahaziah's evil reign in Israel 1 Kings 22:51—2 Kings 1:18 (continued) 4. Jehoram's evil reign in Israel 2:1—8:15 5. Jehoram's evil reign in Judah 8:16-24 6. Ahaziah's evil reign in Judah 8:25—9:29 C. The second period of antagonism 9:30—17:41 1. Jehu's evil reign in Israel 9:30—10:36 2. Athaliah's evil reign in Judah 11:1-20 3. Jehoash's good reign in Judah 11:21—12:21 4. Jehoahaz's evil reign in Israel 13:1-9 5. Jehoash's evil reign in Israel 13:10-25 6. Amaziah's good reign in Judah 14:1-22 7. Jeroboam II's evil reign in Israel 14:23-29 8. Azariah's good reign in Judah 15:1-7 9. Zechariah's evil reign in Israel 15:8-12 10. Shallum's evil reign in Israel 15:13-16 11. Menahem's evil reign in Israel 15:17-22 12. Pekahiah's evil reign in Israel 15:23-26 13. Pekah's evil reign in Israel 15:27-31 Copyright Ó 2021 by Thomas L.
    [Show full text]
  • Chastised Rulers in the Ancient Near East
    Chastised Rulers in the Ancient Near East Dissertation Presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree doctor of philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By J. H. Price, M.A., B.A. Graduate Program in Near Eastern Languages and Cultures The Ohio State University 2015 Dissertation Committee: Samuel A. Meier, Advisor Daniel Frank Carolina López-Ruiz Bill T. Arnold Copyright by J. H. Price 2015 Abstract In the ancient world, kings were a common subject of literary activity, as they played significant social, economic, and religious roles in the ancient Near East. Unsurprisingly, the praiseworthy deeds of kings were often memorialized in ancient literature. However, in some texts kings were remembered for criminal acts that brought punishment from the god(s). From these documents, which date from the second to the first millennium BCE, we learn that royal acts of sacrilege were believed to have altered the fate of the offending king, his people, or his nation. These chastised rulers are the subject of this this dissertation. In the pages that follow, the violations committed by these rulers are collected, explained, and compared, as are the divine punishments that resulted from royal sacrilege. Though attestations are concentrated in the Hebrew Bible and Mesopotamian literature, the very fact that the chastised ruler type also surfaces in Ugaritic, Hittite, and Northwest Semitic texts suggests that the concept was an integral part of ancient near eastern kingship ideologies. Thus, this dissertation will also explain the relationship between kings and gods and the unifying aspect of kingship that gave rise to the chastised ruler concept across the ancient Near East.
    [Show full text]
  • Did Sennacherib Campaign Once Or Twice Against Hezekiah 3
    DID SENNACHERIB CAMPAIGN ONCE OR TWICE AGAINST HEZEKIAH 3 SIEGFRIED H. HORN Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan There is no lack of.lit erature on the subject under discussion. Articles, too numerous to mention,l and several monographs,2 have dealt with the problems of Sennacherib's dealings with King Hezekiah of Judah, especially with the question whether the Assyrian king conducted one campaign or two campaigns against Palestine. There are two principal reasons why until recently it has been impossible to give a clear-cut answer to this question. The first reason is that the Biblical records agree in some parts with Sennacherib's version of the one and only Palesti- nian campaign recorded by him, but in other parts seem to refer to events difficult to connect with the campaign mentioned in the Assyrian annals. The second reason is that the Biblical records bring Sennacherib's campaign-r one of his campaigns, if there were two-in connection with "Tirhakah king of Ethiopia" (z Ki 19 : g; Is 37 : 9) ; but the campaign of Sennacherib, of which numerous Assyrian annal editions have come to light, took place in 701 B.c., some 12 years before Tirhakah came to the throne. 1 A bibliography on articles in periodicals and treatments of the subject in commentaries and histories of Israel or of Assyria up to 1926 is found on pp. I 17-122 of Honor's dissertation mentioned in n. 2. For more recent discussions see H. H. Rowley, "Hezekiah's Reform and Rebellion," BJRL, XLIV (1962)~especially the footnotes on PP.
    [Show full text]
  • Scripture: 2 Kings 18:1-4 Message: the End of “Nehushtan” October 29, 2017; Bethel CRC, Brockville, on Pastor Jack Van De Hoef
    Scripture: 2 Kings 18:1-4 Message: The End of “Nehushtan” October 29, 2017; Bethel CRC, Brockville, ON Pastor Jack Van de Hoef On the first Sunday of this month, Pastor Marilyn Savage preached a sermon on the story of the revival initiated by King Hezekiah. She read the story as it was told in the book of Chronicles. This morning we conclude the month of October looking at another story of the reforms by King Hezekiah, as told in the book of Kings This week is the 500th anniversary of an event that sparked the Protestant Reformation. On the evening before All Saints Day, also known as All Hallows’ Eve, October 31, 1517, a priest in the Roman Catholic Church named Martin Luther is said to have nailed a document of 95 statements questioning various practices in the Roman Catholic Church. He wasn’t intending to leave the church or start a new church. His challenge sparked a controversy, which resulted in what we now call the Protestant Reformation. One of the themes that came out of Luther’s 95 theses was the misplaced emphasis on the traditions and practices of the church as an important part of our salvation. Luther read in the Bible that we are saved by grace, not by anything that we do (Romans 1:17 was a life- changing verse). The Roman Catholic Church, in Luther’s time, had added practices like penance and giving money as a way to ensure going to heaven. The church had limited access to the Bible to only the clergy, using pictures and symbols in the church as a way of teaching the people.
    [Show full text]