21:9 - It is heartbreaking ho often this has happened in the history of God and His people. When God followers end up rejecting God and going their own way, they often end up doing more damage than the non-believers could....and they do it in the name of God.
21:2/20 and 22:1-2 - It keeps jumping out at me over and over as I read these chapters - people make their own choices. I'm sure none of these kings were ideal fathers as they were trying to run the kingdom, but good kings are followed by evil children...evil kings are followed by good children - there is no clear pattern. One of the scariest parts of raising children is that everyone in the end is responsible for their own choices. All I can do is try to show my children what it looks like to follow God and pray that they will answer His beckoning into His kingdom.
22:11 - I have been reading chapter after chapter wondering - why do these idiots keep turning away from God? Can't they see where it leads? Bu there is a reason the have allowed themselves to become so twisted...they don't remember who they are. They have lost their story. They have not been paying attention to the Law...they have forgotten their covenant. When we lose our story we lose our souls.
22:19 - There is always hope of redemption when people thrown themselves humbly before God.
23:3 - Josiah renews the covenant that has been abandoned for generations. He reclaims the story...and with it he regains a measure f hope for the people of Israel.
23:22 - After hundreds of years o slavery n Egypt, God heard the cries f the people who had rejected Him and He saved them. He bought them out of slavery and Egypt. They have completely forgotten what He has done for them. Thy have forgotten that they are God's people. Today we are just as susceptible to turn away from God when we do not make sure we remember who we are and what Gd has done for us.
23:25 - Wow - what a legacy. He is the greatest king is the history of Israel! Beyond David - Beyond Solomon...none was ever like Josiah. And we have to see clearly that his legacy was not based on military victories...it was not based on wealth...it was not based on wisdom or beautiful poetry...Josiah can claim the title of greatest king because he loved Gd with his while heart.
2 comments:
I like what you said about verses 21:2-20 and 22:1-2. I see kids all the time at school talking about how they can get past their parents and how clueless their parents are about what they are doing. And if I ever become a parent, that would scare me to death.
It's really tough Matt...free will means you can't force anybody to do anything really. I can punish my kids and threaten them, but in the end, they choose what they will do. God sees us reject what would b best for us over ad over because He has granted us the choice to love Him or not...it has got to be heartbreaking.
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