SCRIPTURE: 2 Chronicles 29-36
How can the people celebrate, sing, worship, when there is so much bloodshed (2 Chronicles 29:27-28)?
We have a hard time understanding why God commanded sacrifices, but there is a very important reason.
The curse of sin is death (Genesis 2:17); by rights we should be eternally dead.
But God holds back His judgment, and waits until Jesus comes, and undergoes death’s curse for us.
All the sacrifices before Jesus pointed to the horror, the curse, and the judgment of sin.
Now that Jesus has come, no more sacrificing is needed.
The altar (for them) and the cross (for us) represents God’s mercy, God’s forgiveness, God’s solution.
Because He died for us, we do not need to die (the curse of eternal death); because He lives, we too will live.
They maybe did not understand all this in Hezekiah’s day, but they knew that the sacrifice meant mercy.
For us today, the cross stands as an enduring symbol of death and life, and we too should celebrate, sing, worship.
If you have 1/2hr, watch Billy Graham’s reminder of the wonder of the cross.
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
God, sin is bloody and painful and horrible, a curse hanging over me. Thank You for the cross, for turning the curse into a blessing. May I celebrate, sing and worship Your wonderful mercy to me, to all!
Observation/Application
‘He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord’ is a refrain that must be true in my life also. All for Jesus – living for Jesus each day anew. It is neat to see the king calling the people to return to the Lord. Something which also needs to be done today – calling the people back to God. For it is the Lord who heals the people – the nations of the land. Work wholeheartedly for the Lord. We/I need to be His servant each day.
The children do not necessarily follow the ways of the parents – serving the Lord as was the example of Manasseh. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord – leading the people astray and destruction followed. Amon did follow the ways of his father and did the evil his father did. But God visits His people by raising a new king like Josiah to reform the land or re-form-the-nation. The workers worked joyfully before the Lord with the gifts received – keeping the word of the Lord.
As the leader goes, so go the people. The leaders must come to realize their responsibility to the Lord so that they are able to bring peace to the land.
Prayer
Lord, continue to work through Your Spirit to guide and lead Your people also this day.
1. God gives His people strength.
If we believe in His way, He’s swift to repay
All those who bear the burden of the day
God gives His people strength.
2. God gives His people hope
If we but trust in His word, our prayers are always heard
He warmly welcomes anyone who’s erred.
God gives His people hope.
3. God gives His people love
If we but open wide our hearts, He’s sure to do His part
He’s always the first to make a start.
God gives His people love.
4. God gives His people peace.
When sorrow fills us to the brim, and courage grows dim
He lays to rest our restlessness in Him.
God gives His people peace.