We’ve had some nice cooler weather in Arizona this week. I hope this nice weather has blessed you all, too. Today we will read 2 Kings 11-14.
Reading these chapters each day has created in me a desire to research and write a book with more depth about each of the kings.
That is not the purpose of this devotional, it is to share enough detail to help you all enjoy reading through the Bible. You have made it a great distance already. It only gets better!
A righteous king
As chapter 11 begins, it is not a king, but a queen that rules Israel. Athaliah was viscous. The death of her son, Ahaziah, broke her heart, and she ruled with a vengeance.
They hid Joash, his nephew, much like they hid Moses from Pharaoh. Joseph will also hide Jesus from Herod as a baby.
We have read of many evil kings. There are thirty-eight kings described in scripture, only five were good. Five righteous kings in four hundred years.
This makes Joash one of the few. Though only seven years old when he becomes king, (v11:21) he does what is right in the eyes of the Lord (v12:2). The next verse informs us they did not remove the high places.
My concern for America, and President Trump, is that we try to make things better, by human standards, without making them right in the eyes of God.
It is not enough that we overturn Roe v Wade. We need to help people proactively understand the evil of abortion. Only God can change their hearts.
People get offended, so we are tolerant of sin. Freedom can become an idol. While important to protect liberty, we can’t tolerate sin.
When faced with what is lawful, by man, and what is Godly; we must choose God.
Joash did the right things, but he left the high places. The people continued to offer their evil sacrifices.
Restoring the temple
People will give to a cause they believe in. As mentioned, our church is in a building program.
It becomes discouraging when people give, and nothing moves forward.
Sometimes, there is a lot of activity, but it is not visible. Cappadocia, Turkey, shows how we can protect hidden things. (1).
Twenty-Three years later, priests were still collecting money, but nothing was being repaired.
We can get bogged down in planning. The priests were trying to do the repairs themselves. God gives each person unique skills and gifts. If we try to do work we’re not meant to do, it will distract us from our own work. We lose efficiency.
With the money, King Joash hired skilled workers to make the repairs.
Embrace honesty
According to 2 Kings 12:15, “They acted with complete honesty.”
Honesty is a quality lacking in many people. We have become accustomed to politicians and reports lying to us.
Lying is Satan’s native language. He lied to Eve in the garden (see Gen 3:4). He is the father of lies (see John 8:44).
When we tolerate lies, we are giving Satan a foothold, which we should not do. (see Eph 4:27-29).
Our culture has made lying a high place. We defend a person’s right to claim an identity, race, or gender, which is not real.
This is where we need to not only change laws, but educate people on the dangers of not returning to God.
Joash deviated from God’s will. God will not tolerate this from a leader. Therefore, his officials assassinated him (v12:20).
This allowed another evil king to replace him, Ahaziah. He allowed idolatry to proliferate (v13:6).
Touched by the Lord
In 2 Kings 13:20, Elisha dies. The following verse tells of a dead man being thrown into Elisha’s tomb, and being resurrected just by touching the bones.
This is another miracle foreshadowing Jesus. He replicates so many of Elijah and Elisha’s miracles, but always much larger.
Jesus did not stay in his tomb, as Elisha had. We do not have to be thrown into it either.
The apostle Thomas needed to touch Jesus to believe (see John 20:24-29). We just need Jesus to touch our hearts so that we have faith. Faith is believing without seeing (see Heb 11:1).
Has Jesus touched you? When you think of what He went through on Calvary, does your heart cry out?
No one can throw you into the bones of Jesus. They aren’t in his tomb. Only you can throw yourself into Him and seek His mercy.
Tomorrow we read 2 Kings 15-17
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https://theculturetrip.com/europe/turkey/articles/the-story-behind-turkeys-underground-cities
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