Reading II Kings 22 - 25
My Verse: "Still the LORD did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath, kindled against Judah because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him" (23:27).
Here we come to the end of this sorry period of Israel's history. They started off so very grand with King Saul, then King David, then King Solomon. But each fell short in their total devotion to You, O LORD God! Even David, the king you said was a "man after Your own heart" committed awful sins, sins that started the downward spiral of the kingdom of Israel. Yes, he was forgiven because You loved him and he truly repented of his sins. Yet, there are those dreadful consequences that must be carried out. And so here at the end of this kingdom that had so much promise we see the carrying out of those dreadful consequences! You warned and warned, then finally after the wickedness of King Manasseh You, LORD God finally said that was it - punishment had to be meted out!
This reading starts off with the wonderful story of King Josiah, who "was eight years old when he began his thirty-one year reign in Jerusalem" (22:1). And Josiah, despite his wicked grandfather and father, had a heart for You, LORD God. "He did right in the sight of the LORD and walked in all the ways of David his [forefather], and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left" (22:2). When Your Word was found and read, King Josiah "rent his clothes" (22:11). He inquired of You, LORD God to learn what must be done to correct things. He wanted to do what was right.
You, LORD God are such a loving God. You want so much to love us and forgive us. You show this wonderful mercy to King Josiah. Through Huldah the prophetess, You sent Josiah these words. "Because your heart was penitent and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I said against this place and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation, a curse, and you have rent your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you, says the LORD. Behold, . . . your eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring on this place" (22:19,20). In Your mercy you did not bring this awful judgement on all of Israel until after Josiah died.
Even though Josiah knew that You would spare him the judgement and that there was no stopping it, this knowledge did not stop him from destroying all that was evil in his kingdom.
I like Josiah's approach. He first read Your Words to the entire people, so they would understand what he was doing. He then told them what he was going to do - "to walk after the LORD and to keep His commandments, His testimonies, and His statutes with all his heart and soul" (23:3). He then proceeded to diligently and persistently eradicate all the evil. Finally, he brought back the celebration of the Passover which had not been celebrated since the time of the judges. "Surely such a Passover was not held from the days of Israel's judges, even in all the days of the kings of Israel or Judah" (23:22). He was as thorough as he could possibly be.
"There was no king like him before or after [Josiah] who turned to the LORD with all his heart and all his soul and all his might, according to all the LAW of Moses" (23:25). What an amazing thing to be said of one. We should all aspire to the life of King Josiah!
So the land of Judah had a very short respite from the evil before their judgement was meted out on them. You, LORD God did as You said You would. After Josiah died, several other evil kings reigned for very short periods and then the entire nation was done away with. Even Your temple was destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar. "He burned the house of the LORD . . ."(25:9).
Despite all that Josiah did it was too late to save the land.
"Still the LORD did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath, kindled against Judah because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him. And the LORD said, I will remove Judah also out of My sight as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city, Jerusalem, which I have chosen, and the house, of which I said, My Name shall be there" (23:26,27).
So dreadfully sad. Oh LORD God, help me to be faithful to You. Help me to be faithful in prayer for my country. Help me to be faithful in prayer for those loved ones that continue to deny You. There does come a time when it is simply too late to repent!
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
My Verse: "Still the LORD did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath, kindled against Judah because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him" (23:27).
Here we come to the end of this sorry period of Israel's history. They started off so very grand with King Saul, then King David, then King Solomon. But each fell short in their total devotion to You, O LORD God! Even David, the king you said was a "man after Your own heart" committed awful sins, sins that started the downward spiral of the kingdom of Israel. Yes, he was forgiven because You loved him and he truly repented of his sins. Yet, there are those dreadful consequences that must be carried out. And so here at the end of this kingdom that had so much promise we see the carrying out of those dreadful consequences! You warned and warned, then finally after the wickedness of King Manasseh You, LORD God finally said that was it - punishment had to be meted out!
This reading starts off with the wonderful story of King Josiah, who "was eight years old when he began his thirty-one year reign in Jerusalem" (22:1). And Josiah, despite his wicked grandfather and father, had a heart for You, LORD God. "He did right in the sight of the LORD and walked in all the ways of David his [forefather], and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left" (22:2). When Your Word was found and read, King Josiah "rent his clothes" (22:11). He inquired of You, LORD God to learn what must be done to correct things. He wanted to do what was right.
You, LORD God are such a loving God. You want so much to love us and forgive us. You show this wonderful mercy to King Josiah. Through Huldah the prophetess, You sent Josiah these words. "Because your heart was penitent and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I said against this place and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation, a curse, and you have rent your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you, says the LORD. Behold, . . . your eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring on this place" (22:19,20). In Your mercy you did not bring this awful judgement on all of Israel until after Josiah died.
Even though Josiah knew that You would spare him the judgement and that there was no stopping it, this knowledge did not stop him from destroying all that was evil in his kingdom.
I like Josiah's approach. He first read Your Words to the entire people, so they would understand what he was doing. He then told them what he was going to do - "to walk after the LORD and to keep His commandments, His testimonies, and His statutes with all his heart and soul" (23:3). He then proceeded to diligently and persistently eradicate all the evil. Finally, he brought back the celebration of the Passover which had not been celebrated since the time of the judges. "Surely such a Passover was not held from the days of Israel's judges, even in all the days of the kings of Israel or Judah" (23:22). He was as thorough as he could possibly be.
"There was no king like him before or after [Josiah] who turned to the LORD with all his heart and all his soul and all his might, according to all the LAW of Moses" (23:25). What an amazing thing to be said of one. We should all aspire to the life of King Josiah!
So the land of Judah had a very short respite from the evil before their judgement was meted out on them. You, LORD God did as You said You would. After Josiah died, several other evil kings reigned for very short periods and then the entire nation was done away with. Even Your temple was destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar. "He burned the house of the LORD . . ."(25:9).
Despite all that Josiah did it was too late to save the land.
"Still the LORD did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath, kindled against Judah because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him. And the LORD said, I will remove Judah also out of My sight as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city, Jerusalem, which I have chosen, and the house, of which I said, My Name shall be there" (23:26,27).
So dreadfully sad. Oh LORD God, help me to be faithful to You. Help me to be faithful in prayer for my country. Help me to be faithful in prayer for those loved ones that continue to deny You. There does come a time when it is simply too late to repent!
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
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