Text: 2 Kings 24:1-20
Good King Josiah died in battle against Egypt. Subsequently, two of his sons,
a grandson, and then a third son would become kings of Judah, in a sequence covering 221⁄2 troubled years. Yahweh initially commissioned the Pharaoh of Egypt to enslave Judah as a vassal state; then sent the Babylonians against Judah to destroy it. The reason for this is the sins of His people; but in particular and especially because of the sins of King Manasseh (v.3) , which we read about in Chapter 21 . For centuries, God’s nation had turned away from Him; so, now He was bringing it to an end.
We are all connected. What we do will affect others, and we can never say, “I only hurt myself.” Our sins affect everyone. Adam’s sin affected all humanity, and all of creation. Your sins can affect your family and community. But there is also a blessing in this principle. What Jesus Christ accomplished in His earthly ministry will be a blessing for all His people. Thanks be to God. Repent of your sins, ask for forgiveness from God and from others, and then be a blessing to the Lord and to those around you.
Meditate on verse 3. What’s that particular sin you commit all the time that
can cause destruction to your family, community or church?
Ever loving Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, I prayerfully thank You that You do not count my past sins against me. Thank You for the gift of salvation. Amen.