Reading: II Chronicles 21 - 27
My Verse: "He did right in the LORD's sight, but not with a perfect or blameless heart" (25:2).
In this reading we see three dreadfully evil kings and four lukewarm kings of Judah.
What is so amazing to me is that the three evil kings met such awful ends.
King Jehoram immediately killed off his own brothers, did much evil and ended up dying of a horrible bowel disease. Then his son, King Ahaziah "did what was evil int he sight of the LORD" and was killed as You ordained by Jehu. Hearing of his death, Athaliah, his mother, "destroyed all the royal family of Judah" that she would reign. She was slain by her own army captains.
Then we have the four lukewarm kings. King Joash started off with much fervor for You, LORD God. But once his mentor and guide, his uncle Jehoida died, Joash was easily swayed by the "princes of Judah" and he "listened to them" and "abandoned the house of the LORD." He ended up dying at the hands of conspirators.
Joash's son, King Amaziah followed You LORD God but "not with his whole heart." After a great battle in which You gave him the victory he "brought the gods of the men of Seir and set them up as his gods and worshiped them" (25:14). He too was killed by conspirators, "from the time when he turned away from the LORD they made a conspiracy against him" (25:27).
King Uzziah, Amaziah's son, "when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction" (26:16). He entered the temple and burned incense. When confronted by the priests that this was wrong he became very angry. Immediately, You Lord God struck him with leprosy. He had leprosy until his death. Jotham, his son took over. It is said of Jotham; "So Jotham became mighty because he ordered his ways before the LORD his God" (27:6). Yet little else is said of him and "the people still followed corrupt practices" (27:2). King Jotham did not remove the "high places" where idols were worshipped.
It is interesting that the kings did not seem to look back at those that reigned before them, especially those who did evil and met such dreadful ends! Also it is interesting that the kings that partly followed You, did not seem to learn from Your blessings on them when they were following You. When things were going well they so easily slip away into sin - living for themselves and shutting You out.
Dear, LORD God, thank You for showing me how very easy it is to do that, to fall away from You - to become a lukewarm follower of You. You definitely do not want lukewarm followers!
You, LORD Jesus said that the first and most important commandment is: "And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30)!
Help me in this LORD God! I pray Psalm 119:10 to You.
"With my whole heart I seek you;
let me not wander from your commandments!"
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
My Verse: "He did right in the LORD's sight, but not with a perfect or blameless heart" (25:2).
In this reading we see three dreadfully evil kings and four lukewarm kings of Judah.
What is so amazing to me is that the three evil kings met such awful ends.
King Jehoram immediately killed off his own brothers, did much evil and ended up dying of a horrible bowel disease. Then his son, King Ahaziah "did what was evil int he sight of the LORD" and was killed as You ordained by Jehu. Hearing of his death, Athaliah, his mother, "destroyed all the royal family of Judah" that she would reign. She was slain by her own army captains.
Then we have the four lukewarm kings. King Joash started off with much fervor for You, LORD God. But once his mentor and guide, his uncle Jehoida died, Joash was easily swayed by the "princes of Judah" and he "listened to them" and "abandoned the house of the LORD." He ended up dying at the hands of conspirators.
Joash's son, King Amaziah followed You LORD God but "not with his whole heart." After a great battle in which You gave him the victory he "brought the gods of the men of Seir and set them up as his gods and worshiped them" (25:14). He too was killed by conspirators, "from the time when he turned away from the LORD they made a conspiracy against him" (25:27).
King Uzziah, Amaziah's son, "when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction" (26:16). He entered the temple and burned incense. When confronted by the priests that this was wrong he became very angry. Immediately, You Lord God struck him with leprosy. He had leprosy until his death. Jotham, his son took over. It is said of Jotham; "So Jotham became mighty because he ordered his ways before the LORD his God" (27:6). Yet little else is said of him and "the people still followed corrupt practices" (27:2). King Jotham did not remove the "high places" where idols were worshipped.
It is interesting that the kings did not seem to look back at those that reigned before them, especially those who did evil and met such dreadful ends! Also it is interesting that the kings that partly followed You, did not seem to learn from Your blessings on them when they were following You. When things were going well they so easily slip away into sin - living for themselves and shutting You out.
Dear, LORD God, thank You for showing me how very easy it is to do that, to fall away from You - to become a lukewarm follower of You. You definitely do not want lukewarm followers!
You, LORD Jesus said that the first and most important commandment is: "And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30)!
Help me in this LORD God! I pray Psalm 119:10 to You.
"With my whole heart I seek you;
let me not wander from your commandments!"
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
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