All Things Work Out 06.01.08
Hello My Friend/Guest,
It is Sunday June 1, 2008 and today we are completing our studies on the book of II Chronicles. Please read Chapters 34-36 in your Bible or Click Here (cut & paste) biblegateway.com/passage/?search=II%20Chronicles%2034-36&version=9 to read.
Today we will read and learn about the reign of Josiah, his restoring of the Temple, the Book of the Law found, the fall of Jerusalem, the captivity of Judah, and the decree of Cyrus to rebuild the Temple. Today's message focuses on the importance of realizing that God works all things together for good when we put our trust and faith in God.
Josiah reigned on David's throne for thirty-one years. It was the last surge of political independence and religious revival before the disintegration of the southern kingdom which ended with the destruction of Jerusalem. Josiah's religious leadership ranked him with David, Jehoshaphat, and Hezekiah as an outstanding godly ruler, for he took a firm stand against idol worship and other evils that had permeated his kingdom. "And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left. For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images." (II Chronicles 34:2-3)
One of the highest honors ever attributed to a king was given to Josiah, "Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, great and small: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the LORD. And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book. And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers." (34:29-32). Josiah's love for God and his righteous example of spiritual leadership has been a blessing to many thousands of us since that time.
Josiah's leadership was abruptly ended when he attempted to stop Pharaoh Necho's plans to attack the Assyrians. "After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Charchemish by Euphrates: and Josiah went out against him. But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, What have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? I come not against thee this day, but against the house wherewith I have war: for God commanded me to make haste: forbear thee from meddling with God, who is with me, that he destroy thee not." (35:20-21).
Josiah could have felt obligated to withstand the invasion of Pharaoh Necho, but he did not believe that Necho received a message from the One True God like he said since he was a worshiper of many false gods so he desguised himself and entered the battle which ended his life. "Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and hearkened not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo. And the archers shot at king Josiah; and the king said to his servants, Have me away; for I am sore wounded. His servants therefore took him out of that chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had; and they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died, and was buried in one of the sepulchres of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah." (35:22-24).
The last four kings of Judah Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah were all evil, and led the nation in a descending course to its disastrous end morally, politically, and spiritually. During his reign of 11 years Zedekiah, the youngest son of Josiah, did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD and rebelled against Babylon's domination because he thought he had the support of Egypt. "Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the LORD. And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the LORD God of Israel." (36:11-13). This time, the Lord left the Israelites to their ruin. Nebuchadnezzar showed no mercy and surrounded Jerusalem and his soldiers eventually broke through the north wall and mercilessly butchered both young and old. Most of those who had escaped the massacre were driven off as slaves to become exiles in a foreign land.
Because of His great love for Israel and His covenants with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David, the Lord made a precious promise to the Jewish people that is fast approaching fulfillment. They will soon recognize Jesus of Nazareth as their Messiah. "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins." (Romans 11:25-27).
Although he died at a young age Josiah fulfilled the will of God who spared him from the tragedies that were to soon come upon Jerusalem and the Temple and God welcomed him home. Josiah was a godly man and it is a fact that all things work together for good to them that love God. "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:26-28)
In today's reading Jesus Christ is revealed through the messengers of God who were rejected by His people (II Chronicles 36:15-16). Jesus came to His own, and His own received Him not (John 1:11).
Today's Prayer:
Dear Lord,
When we face struggles with a confident heart instead of a cringing fear we give testimony to Your active power in our lives. There is nothing that we cannot overcome by Your grace as You work out the details and the timing. A whining spirit only leads to self-pity while a thankful spirit visualizes a hopeful outlook. Our confidence grows as we look beyond the current crisis to You, our Great Deliverer, who has done so many wondrous works that the whole world is not big enough to contain the books that would describe Your miraculous, delivering power. In Jesus' name...Amen.
Enjoy the rest of your day!
God Bless,
Christina
Visit A Spiritual Guide
aspiritualguide.net
|
|
| Views: 204
Email This to a Friend 