Day 28: 2 Kings 15:27-2 Kings 25:30 - 90 Day Challenge

Finishing Kings

The Downfall of Israel and Jerusalem 


We've done it! Two more books of the Bible done! 1 and 2 Kings were, to put it lightly, bizarre at times. We had several Kings who were literal children, and in those cases, they seemed to be running things better than the adults! 

I really, truly, liked today's reading. No, not about Israel being taken over and destroyed, nor about Jerusalem meeting the same fate. Rather, I loved that two kings, one in Israel and one in Jerusalem (king of the tribe of Judah) did right by the Lord. The people who came before and after them? Evil. (As is seemingly the theme of the books of Kings). 

But the way Hezekiah was unafraid to worship the Lord, and to guide the people of Israel back into peace with the only true God who delivered them from what would have otherwise been a death sentence in Egypt, was amazing to read. The way he so freely called upon the Lord and chose to seek His council when faced with dilemma was, frankly, inspiring. Even when he is ill and weeping, the Lord heals him. When you walk with the Lord, the Lord walks with you. 

Then, we are presented with another child king (at the ripe-old age of eight) who recovers the Book of Law from the temple. (Did they all just forget that this existed?! They didn't even bother to re-read it?!) And Josiah, the eight-year-old king, renews the covenant with the Lord. Under his ruling, the people of Judah begin to follow the Lord's commandments again, the celebrate the Passover for the first time since before Judges. Isn't that crazy? It's so easy to get wrapped up in the technicalities of the Old Testament and miss some massive things. 

In Chapter 23, in reference to Josiah, it says that there was never before, and never since, a king as great as Josiah. Why? Because he turned to the Lord with his entire heart, his entire soul, and his entire strength (2 Kings 23:25). He took complete and total steps to ensure that the only true God was the only god being worshiped by his people. Was he trying to take away the free-will of his people? I don't think so. I think he was trying to save them all. 

Even though Josiah was a great king, the Lord still did not spare Jerusalem. Several evil kings came after Josiah, and Jerusalem was overtaken. The Lord does not go back on promises, but Josiah was given an honorable burial. His wisdom and faith for the Lord brings this verse to mind: 

Even as a child, Josiah was able to be an example for an entire nation. And I think that's something to keep on our hearts. Do not let anyone think less of you for anything, whether young or old, male or female, black, white, purple, or polka-dot, and do not let any of that stop you from having the opportunity to make disciples and save lives. 

A quick note about the reading for the next couple of days: 
We are about to embark on a journey through the books of Chronicles (1 and 2). This is going to be a five and a half day journey. Much of chronicles is a historical account of what we've already read. They will take much less time to read than usual, but I won't have as much to write about. 

I will be provided a brief synopsis of the content each day, but for the next five days, the content on the post will mostly be reflections of the things we've read so far, as well as some general "God talk" that may be important to keep in mind for the readings going forward. (I also feel that this falls at a good time for a change in pace, we're just days away from the 1/3 mark!)

With that, have a wonderful and blessed Sunday. 
Tomorrow's reading will be 1 Chronicles 1:1-1 Chronicles 9:44

Jill Jafarace
Director of Student Ministry
New Leaf UMC

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