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August 19th
The bible reading today is in 2 Kings 24,25 and 2 Chronicles 36.
Before we move on from the Babylonian captivity of Judah, we read some more content for application.
150 years before now, Judah watched Assyria totally defeat and destroy the 10 tribes of Israel’s northern kingdom. The land and the cities were laid waste and plundered of anything of value. Thousands upon thousands of Israelites lost their lives in that war. And twice that many were led to Ninevah as slaves.
The prophets reminded Judah of God’s judgment upon their northern kinsmen. Judah was given years to repent of their own sins against God. Judah was warned time and time again to turn from their willful, wicked ways and back to their God Savior.
But backslidden Judah would not repent. And God’s promised judgment came upon them. Death and destruction touched every part of Judah...from the countryside to the fortified cities.
The king of Babylon struck Judeans down and put them to death in brutal ways. For instance, Judah’s King Zedekiah tried to run from Nebuchadnezzar's army. But they caught up with and his family in the plains of Jericho. The Babylonians murdered each member of his family while making Zedekiah watch the butchering. Then the king’s captors put his eyes out and bound him in shackles and took him to Ninevah to suffer and die in the darkness.
All of this happened to the nation of God’s promise because kings in Judah, including Zedekiah, refused to listen to God, and instead chose to shed the innocent blood of God’s faithful. Oh, how all of Israel needed a spiritual awakening.
Oh, friends, I cannot help but think of our own nation and the innocent blood that is shed in our streets through cold, self-centered lawlessness. I think of the 1 million unborn children that were legally aborted on demand in America in 2018. And that’s only the ones reported.
Judah had blood on her hands. And so does our nation.
I'm sure that there were believers in Judah that went to Temple to pray and worship and beg God to revive their nation...to save their nation before it was too late. Let us be those believers in America that worship and pray and beseech the Lord for His holy fire from above that will revive the church to a life of repentance and a first love for Jesus and people again. A revival of the fresh oil of the Holy Spirit upon the churches so we can be salt and light once again. Living in our towns and cities and neighborhoods to preserve life and expose the darkness and the destruction that comes from there upon our land.
Jeremiah the prophet wept over the sin of Israel...Jesus shed tears for Jerusalem...Lord give us broken hearts for the salvation of our nation too.
Have a great day.
