Jehosheba is a hero of the Bible who saves a toddler from the evil schemes of a power-hungry authority.  Consider how Moses was saved under Pharaoh’s reign, or Jesus during the time of King Herod.  Even with this heroic act, we know little about Jehosheba.  She was the daughter of King Jehoram and married the priest Jehoiada.  These are two historical figures most people know little about.  Her husband led a rebellion to instill the rightful heir of David to the throne in Jerusalem.  Her father was so evil the Bible says that when he died it was to no one’s regret (2 Chron. 21:20).

Many people have concluded that God’s demands are beyond our reach. No matter how hard we try to please Him, we ultimately always fail. From the perspective of human effort, that is correct: we cannot on our own please Him. But, the point of these verses is that the potential to do so through faith is indeed possible. Notice how Paul framed these verses:

We can rely on God to lead those things that are too great for us, we can find rest and comfort in Him. 

Questioning is key. Perhaps you have heard someone state, “I know this is a dumb question but …” There is no such thing as a dumb question in that anyone willing to ask has a desire to know and learn.

David knows that what he has done is wrong, and he knows that he is not capable of fixing himself and reorienting his life and priorities alone. He cannot wash himself clean of his sin, but God can forgive him and cleanse him of the sin that has come forth from him.

The sin of self-reliance is high on the list in a culture of plenty. Even the poorest among us have choices that many in the world cannot even imagine. When we overly depend upon personal financial resources and/or social benefits, we easily slide down the slippery slope away from reliance on our Creator.

Sometimes we do things, go places, consume content that we know we shouldn’t, but we’ve allowed ourselves to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and we fall victim to the allure of the temptations of sin around us.

Apparently John never took a preaching class in Bible college or seminary. Calling out listeners as a “brood of vipers” hardly endears an audience. After all, those listening have taken the important step of listening, as opposed to those who didn’t show up at all. It’s like berating the Resurrection Sunday crowd for only showing up once a year.

God provides sustenance for all people, the earth yields its produce. It does so because God designed it that way, so may the nations recognize that Yahweh created life and sustains it through his order.

The real food, however, was not the manna but the Provider; words echoed by Jesus in His wilderness temptation: “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’ ” Matthew 4:4.