2 Chronicles 33:1-25 – Bad to Good to Bad

Read 2 Chronicles 33:1-25

Manasseh was a nasty, wicked king. Mostly. After having such a devout father, I suppose it shouldn’t surprise me that the pendulum would swing in the opposite direction. Kids often rebel against their parents, and Manasseh would be a prime example of this. Everything that Hezekiah had established to please God and have a successful life was demolished.

Did this passage shock you, too, or was it just me? Some of the things Manasseh did were unforgiveable. My spirit just hurts for people who have chosen pagan lies over the truth. It happened to Manasseh and it’s happening like an epidemic in today’s world. How do you expect God feels about it? The LORD wants devotion, to be needed, and not abandoned. Continue reading “2 Chronicles 33:1-25 – Bad to Good to Bad”

2 Chronicles 32:24-33 – A Moment of Weakness

Read 2 Chronicles 32:24-33

It seems inevitable that decent, God-fearing kings will one day stumble. It’s good to see they’re human. After all the success and even beating a severe illness with God’s help, Hezekiah slipped. We read, “But Hezekiah did not respond appropriately to the kindness shown him, and he became proud. So the Lord’s anger came against him and against Judah and Jerusalem.”

God’s fury was unleashed against the people under Hezekiah’s rule, too. How long God’s fury lasted is unknown, but in the very next verse we hear that Hezekiah repented his pride and God removed his anger. Continue reading “2 Chronicles 32:24-33 – A Moment of Weakness”

2 Chronicles 32:9-23 – Our Faith Under Attack

Read 2 Chronicles 32:9-23

Have you ever been ridiculed for your faith? Perhaps untruths were spread about something you did or said. That’s what Hezekiah endured as King Sennacherib of Assyria tried to distract the people from listening to Hezekiah’s declaration about how God would sustain them.

All it takes is a little doubt to cause us to stumble in matters of faith. Clearly, Sennacherib was feeling pressured to find success. He did a fine job of tooting his own horn and that of the Assyrian kings who had come before him. By casting a shadow on the trust people had in their God and his servant, Hezekiah, Sennacherib was doing what he thought would be most effective in assuring an Assyrian victory. Continue reading “2 Chronicles 32:9-23 – Our Faith Under Attack”

2 Chronicles 32:1-8 – All Hands on Deck

Read 2 Chronicles 32:1-8

If you were wondering whether King Hezekiah could do no wrong, what’s the answer now? Even under the pressure of attack or threat of one, the King was encouraging the rest of his followers to have faith in God. That’s a rather bold move from a faith standpoint. For Hezekiah, he seemed fearless because of his unfailing confidence in God’s provision. I’m not necessarily feeling fearless these days. Hezekiah gets it right!

In Hezekiah’s own words to encourage his people, he said this about the opposition. “He may have a great army, but they are merely men. We have the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles for us!” Can you imagine what it was like to have such words of faith coming from your ruling king? Imagine! And the uplifting message giving hope. We all face battles in our lives every day. How much different they look when we let Jesus lead us. Continue reading “2 Chronicles 32:1-8 – All Hands on Deck”

2 Chronicles 31:1-21 – Faithfulness to God

Read 2 Chronicles 31:1-21

The celebration of our last reading seems to have overtaken the hearts of the people in Hezekiah’s kingdom. Once again, we see the Israelites destroying pagan shrines and altars. The people, who appear unified, are following King Hezekiah’s example of piety, or faithfulness to God.

Did you sense a calmness in the text? It’s as if reading about their harmony transcends time and encourages us still today. This is what a God-fearing group of faithful people looks like. Unfortunately, we’re hard pressed today to find such a group. Even within our churches we deal with division. I read a startling statistic just today that church attendance over all denominations is declining.