2 Chronicles 24:17-27 – When We Turn From God

Read 2 Chronicles 24:17-27

Again, we see how a good king can very quickly become disillusioned and turn evil. There are some shocking twists in this passage. The Chronicler’s history differs from the parallel texts in 2 Kings, so it’s helpful to remember his focus is usually on the priests.

Without Jehoiada the priest to keep King Joash’s focus holy, other leaders swoop in and the kingdom crumbles. We’ve seen before what happens when leaders turn away from God. The warning from Jehoiada’s son could not have been clearer. Zechariah stood before the people and said, “This is what God says: Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands and keep yourselves from prospering? You have abandoned the Lord, and now he has abandoned you!”

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Mark 12:38-40 – Beware!

Read Mark 12:38-40

Jesus felt it necessary to warn us about false teachers of religious law. He had certainly encountered plenty of religious leaders who were not focused on the right thing. Verses like these made my pastor husband uncomfortable with (and eventually led him to abandon) the robes that pastors of our denomination traditionally wear.

We need to remember that pastors, priests, and other religious leaders are people. People can be misguided and go astray. People can be power hungry. People sin. Too often we put our religious leaders on pedestals, thinking they have more of an “in” with God. How do I know this? Because I’ve had plenty of people over the years ask me to have my husband pray for something because he was “closer to God.” Yes, they said that!

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