Happy Easter morning to you all. My family always celebrated Easter, even though we rarely attended church. It was eggs, bunnies, and chocolate. What kid wouldn’t love that holiday?
For me, it was the unofficial beginning of waterski season. We would have a three-day weekend and spend it at Apache Lake.
As a Christian, it saddens me I was so oblivious to the significance of this day.
I thought it had something to do with the day Jesus died, which was actually Good Friday.
Jesus defeated death that day. Satan thought he had the perfect plan to stop God’s plan. He lost. He played right into God’s hand and gave him the one thing he needed; an atoning sacrifice.
With that sacrifice complete, Jesus could secure salvation for all who would believe in Him. When He arose, it provided us all the opportunity to rise with Him.
Today, we are going to talk about 2 Kings 21-23.
Evil is everywhere
The focus of these chapters is one of the greatest earthly kings, Josiah.
Preceding him was a king named Manasseh, who took evil to its highest level (v21:15-16). Much like Satan thinking he was defeating God, Manasseh added evil to evil to lead Judah astray.
He built altars to other gods and to the stars in the temple! (V21:5). Practicing divination, he had mediums and spiritists seek omens (v21:6).
As I read about his actions, I think of the many people I know who consider themselves “more spiritual” than anything else. They think this is a good thing. It is not.
This is Satan’s game plan from the beginning. The devil will cause people to substitute evil for good, even within his church, to make it feel like they are earning their way to heaven. Instead of getting people to join his church, he will deceive the people within the temple to worship the wrong gods.
Hope exists
Just when it looks like God should give up on Judah, a new king appears, the child – Josiah. He followed the ways of his father, David. He even had all the evil Manasseh had done removed. Instead of leaving the high places, he had it destroyed.
During the destruction and cleansing of the temple, Hilkiah finds the Book of the Law V22:8).
Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law (see Matt 5:17-18).
I see a parallel image of destruction, leading to the cleansing. Just as Josiah destroyed all the sins of Manasseh, Jesus, by allowing them to destroy Himself, cleansed us of all our sins.
Wrath is coming
God was still not happy with Judah (v22:16-17), and was still going to punish them.
He is not pleased with us either. He will still pour out His divine wrath on the earth. We have rejected Him. We have worshipped idols and practiced sin without end.
There is a day coming, I believe, soon, where He will stop protecting us.
We found the answer.
Josiah read the scriptures to the people (v23:2). Faith in Jesus comes by hearing the Word of God (see Rom 10:17). The punishment is still coming.
Megiddo is where Josiah dies in battle (v23:29). We are told that Armageddon is coming. This is the final battle between good and evil. The name Armageddon means Mount Megiddo.
God let Josiah die, because he had turned from the evil. He had humbled himself and tore his robe and wept (v22:19). His heart was receptive, ensuring that God would spare him from witnessing the impending devastation.
I believe God will rescue His children, those who are in Christ, before that battle happens.
Josiah sees the tomb of the prophet and leaves it untouched. I believe that when that battle happens, Jesus’ burial will leave Christians unharmed.
Revelation 20:2-3 says Satan will rule for one thousand years before Christ casts him into outer darkness.
This is reminiscent of Jehoahaz bringing evil back to the land after Josiah had cleaned it up.
Those who were in the tomb remained safe, but those in the world returned to evil.
We know from the empty tomb Jesus defeated death and rose. If we were in the tomb with Him, we will rise with Him.
My question to you, are you ready to die to yourself, and live with Christ, or risk staying in the world?
Very good https://urlr.me/zH3wE5