God rescues us – Be Still…

2 Chronicles 28:1-27 – A Bad King

Read 1 Chronicles 28:1-27

King Ahaz was a bad king from the beginning. This text gives no indication that Ahaz started out good and then spiraled into an evil frenzy. Don’t you wonder how the son of a good king (Jotham) could be so corrupt? Rebellion perhaps?

The Chronicler loves storytelling, especially when it has to do with worship. An evil king becomes evil because of who he worships. The story unfolds about an evil king with no victories or successful conquests. In fact, defeats and plundering are more abundant. Why would a king want to lead like that? Did Ahaz even realize that these repeated disappointments were because of his worship practices?

Zechariah 9:11-17 – Lost Sheep

Read Zechariah 9:11-17

Chapter 9 has been interesting because it seems to jump from theme to theme. With the brief oasis in our last reading that spoke about the king riding on a donkey, we now seem to be back to the promise of the coming kingdom and how God will make things right for his people.

While there are a lot of rich images in this reading, verse 16a was the verse that spoke to me the most today. It reads, “On that day the Lord their God will rescue his people, just as a shepherd rescues his sheep.” Of course, I couldn’t help but see Jesus as that shepherd and remember the story he told about the lost sheep.

Zechariah 8:9-19 – Source of Blessing

Read Zechariah 8:9-19

Zechariah’s message reminds the people of God’s love with a tangible example and a promise. The people can see the construction efforts on the new temple as they are returning from exile. We’ve also heard how the remnant returnees experienced poor profit on their crops and other financial stressors. This message says, “those days are over.”

Soon, the people will start to see all the bounty God promises. After years in exile, these words would have been even more precious and comforting. But the people still needed to listen. The keys to success were being spoken through God’s prophets. How would the people respond to how God was moving?

2 Peter 2:4-10 – Who God Spares

Read 2 Peter 2:4-10

This text clearly warns about the judgment in store for those false teachers Peter spoke of in our last reading. If God doesn’t spare the angels, you can bet he’s not going to spare the false teachers. Those folks who try so hard to lead us astray and confuse us with worldly values are being likened to the corrupt people of Noah’s day and the immoral people that surrounded Lot. God will judge sin, and the unrepentant sinner cannot escape.

God loves us all, but he spares only the righteous. Peter gives us examples that illustrate how God has dealt with the ungodly in the past. Amidst the destruction, God has always spared those who stay true to him, like Noah and Lot. God knows the heart of his people. These men were not sinless, but they put their trust in God.

Jeremiah 38:1-13 – Now That’s the Pits!

Read Jeremiah 38:1-13

abandoned cistern made out of brick and rock

The life of the prophet Jeremiah has had some very unpleasant moments. Of course, we are privy to only a portion of what he experienced. But today’s circumstance was certainly the “pits.” I recall using that word regularly to describe all the unpleasant things a teenager might encounter. It’s been decades since I used that little phrase. Certainly, Jeremiah had to be glad that his time in the “pits” didn’t end in death!

This was an interesting interlude of the unfolding drama of Jeremiah’s imprisonment. Jeremiah has had a rough road. Now the king’s officials want him dead because his message hurts the morale of the fighting men and people left behind. Heaven forbid! It’s one thing if morale is being affected by negative talk, but Jeremiah’s prophecies, while not at all “pleasant,” sounded God’s warning and promise of hope for the redeemed.