bad things happen – Be Still…

2 Chronicles 12:1-16 – Bad Things Happen

Read 2 Chronicles 12:1-16

We see in this reading what can happen when leaders are not following God. All the efforts of fortifying cities Rehoboam did in our last reading could not stop the invasion when God was allowing it. The prophet “Shemaiah told them, “This is what the Lord says: You have abandoned me, so I am abandoning you to Shishak.” What does that say to us today?

The leaders accepted God’s response and promptly humbled themselves. Seeing this, God relented from his plan of destruction. What if these leaders had not understood God’s disapproval and discounted the prophet’s warning?

Jeremiah 52:12-23 – The Temple Crumbles

Read Jeremiah 52:12-23

As I read of the destruction, I tried to picture how long it must have taken to demolish the temple and all the other structures described. I felt sad. The history alone of this great building was extensive. I couldn’t help but remember King David’s vision for this magnificent tribute to God, and then his son, Solomon’s call to build. You can read more about David’s thought process in 2 Samuel 7.

Gone. All the grandeur was lost forever. I had forgotten the extent of the bronze and the magnitude of the size. Do you think the people remaining in Judah mourned the loss of this great place? It doesn’t sound like they put up much of a fight. The army just came in like a big wrecking ball as if to demolish the past. And God allowed it to happen! What would the exiles already in Babylon think when they heard the news?

Amos 5:16-27 – Warning, Warning!

Read Amos 5:16-27

Our reading starts with “Therefore.” We know the use of that word connects our reading to what came before. It’s time to heed the warnings. Now we understand why there is such a focus on repenting. That’s the response God expects from us as well as the Israelites.

How many times has something bad happened to you that was totally unexpected? Most of the time we have no way of knowing something bad is about to happen, or we would have changed course. Right? Not necessarily. After all, look at the behavior of the Israelites! They were given warnings by Amos and others that continuing their same behavior would lead to destruction. Because such warnings were preserved in God’s word, we can learn from the Israelites’ mistakes and apply the warnings they were given to our own lives.