SCRIPTURE: 2 Kings 25
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” [Matthew 24:1-2]
For the people of Judah at the time of Zedekiah, as well as for the Jews of Jesus’ day, the temple was their guarantee of success.
They were safe because of the temple; as long as it stood, they were guaranteed success because God was committed to His house.
Do not trust in deceptive words and say, “This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD… Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, “We are safe”–safe to do all these detestable things? !” [Jeremiah 7:4,9-10]
I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a haunt of jackals; and I will lay waste the towns of Judah so no one can live there. [Jeremiah 9:11]
Both Jesus and Jeremiah predict the fall of the temple and the city. Continue reading is my temple coming apart?

SCRIPTURE: 2 Kings 24
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, `For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ ‘Sir,’ the man replied, `leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’ [Luke 13:6-9]
How long will God’s patience last?
Our reading for today shows that God is finally bringing judgment upon His people because of their sin.
For Manasseh had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the LORD was not willing to forgive… It was because of the LORD’s anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end he thrust them from his presence. [2 Kings 24:4,20]
Jesus makes it plain that God gives time for things to change, but that eventually that season of mercy will end – leave it alone for one more year! Continue reading when God’s patience runs out

SCRIPTURE: 2 Kings 23
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a `sinner.’ ” But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.” [Luke 19:7-9]
The thing that made Zacchaeus a ‘son of Abraham’ is the same thing that would make Josiah a ‘son of Abraham’.
Abraham obeyed me and kept my requirements, my commands, my decrees and my laws. [Genesis 26:5]
A child of Abraham is one who, like Abraham, doesn’t just hear God’s message but obeys it, lives it. Continue reading a child of Abraham

SCRIPTURE: 2 Kings 22
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people, that they would become accursed and laid waste, and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the LORD. [2 Kings 22:19]
Josiah hears the Law of Moses, the basis of old testament Israel’s existence, and he is convicted.
His heart is inclined towards God, even before the book is found, but when he hears what God’s Law involves, he humbles himself before God.
But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, `God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. [Luke 18:13-14] Continue reading a responsive heart

SCRIPTURE: 2 Kings 21
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! [Matthew 18:7]
Our reading today makes me think of these words from Jesus – woe to Manasseh!
How he changed from his father Hezekiah, who was faithful to God.
Through Manasseh, all forms of vile, immoral and cruel religion were reinstated – he even sacrificed his own son!
He filled Jerusalem with innocent blood.
Every so often this kind of brutal dictator arises, and the blood flows: Hitler, Stalin, Mugabe, Ceaucescou, Idi Amin, Pol Pot… more could be added, with debates about names belonging or not (some people would add Bush).
I am not quick to say who will inherit eternal life or eternal death, but these seem like good candidates for eternal death.
It is not for me to judge, and God knows things about us we don’t know.
But from this side of things, without naming names, we can say for sure that those who are agents of evil, will inherit eternal judgment. Continue reading leaning towards Jesus

SCRIPTURE: 2 Kings 20
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, `This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the LORD. [2 Kings 20:5]
Hezekiah is sick, he cries out to God in desperate tears – a common enough story, this happens all the time.
Yet in this story God steps in and heals; He even offers a miracle to convince him that he will be healed – the sun goes backwards ’10 steps’!
Experience tells us that this does not always happen, God does not always respond to tears with a miracle or healing. Continue reading God works through humble hearts

SCRIPTURE: 2 Kings 19
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: “O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth … Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O LORD, are God.” [2 Kings 19:14,15,19]
I like the idea of Hezekiah spreading the message before the Lord. Continue reading spread out your prayer

SCRIPTURE: 2 Kings 18
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
Do not listen to Hezekiah. This is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then every one of you will eat from his own vine and fig tree and drink water from his own cistern, until I come and take you to a land like your own, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey. Choose life and not death! “Do not listen to Hezekiah, for he is misleading you when he says, `The LORD will deliver us.’ [2 Kings 18:31-32]
These words are certainly compelling; the city is surrounded by a massive army, one that has destroyed greater kingdoms than Israel.
To reject this offer is in many ways to reject life; they will be destroyed!
These words are a mirror image of what God promised to Israel if they served Him: a promised land with abundant blessing!
Hezekiah is facing the test of a lifetime.
He has attempted to faithfully serve God, but everything is falling apart.
If he stays true to God, he will lose his life; if he submits to the king of Assyria, he loses God.
Honestly, given this choice, what would you have done? Continue reading choose life? what life?

SCRIPTURE: 2 Kings 17
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
“All this I will give you,” Satan said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” [Matthew 4:9-10]
To worship is to honour, respect and serve; we were created to honour, respect and serve God.
But since the beginning, Satan has been luring our hearts away from God to honour, respect and serve other things – food, money, self, pleasure, other gods, success, work, etc.
God says, ‘worship me, and the joy of my creation is yours’; Satan says, ‘worship me, and I will give you everything you desire’.
Throughout history, Satan has followed the same strategy: lure our hearts to the “all this” in order to take our hearts from God.
And once we take the bait, we’re trapped.
The world that we live in, filled with dangerous delights tempting us, is a world of misery, bondage, despair.
One look at this world is to see the lie of Satan’s offer. Continue reading Satan’s bait

SCRIPTURE: 2 Kings 16
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. [John 3:16]
God does not need to be appeased, convinced, or cajoled to love us; he loves us, period!
And yet people forget this, they assume that God is angry, demanding blood and religious observance before He will accept us.
Yes, there were descriptions of blood sacrifices and religious observances in the Law of Moses, but they were not for God’s benefit but for the peoples.
God did not need to be convinced to love people, He needed to convince them that they needed to love Him.
The purpose of the sacrifices and religious observances were to get their attention, to show them God’s greatness and mercy and love; this is repeated again and again in the Law of Moses. Continue reading no need to appease God