Day 231 – 2 Kings 24-25, 2 Chronicles 36

Talking Points

• Why? As the tales of God’s judgment unfold, as destruction is levied on God’s people, we might wonder why. God purposefully makes it clear. In His mercy and grace, God had sent His messengers, “again and again” (2 Chronicles 36:15). “But they continually mocked the messengers of God, despised His words and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, until there was no remedy” (36:36). God, help us heed Your Word!
• God is gracious, merciful, and kind. He loves and is actually the embodiment of love. He is amazingly patient. And yet, there will be a point when it is too late, and His judgment will be served.
• “So Judah was led away into exile from its land” (2 Kings 25:21b). What a scene that must have been. The mighty walls have been pummeled. The celebrated city built by David is in ruins, plumes of smoke rising up. The glorious temple of God, built in unimaginable splendor, each detail carefully scripted by God Himself, is destroyed. The gold, silver, and bronze is carted off to be used in the worship of pagan gods in a pagan land. And, to top it all off, God’s people, who had once marched into this Promised Land trudge slowly but surely away to captivity.

Thoughts

You can trust His Word! Oh — I wish someone would have yelled this at me earlier in my life! Yes, yelled it. And, while they were at it, more than once. Instead, I was always a little suspect. It seemed everyone was.

I knew it was God’s Word. I knew it pointed to Jesus. I was told that, and I believed it. But, what about those parts? You know, the ones that seem to conflict either with popular logic, with science, or even with themselves. Those parts were either deemed nonessential, unknowable, or just something to be taken on faith. Isn’t that what faith means? Just believe it and don’t ask questions?

Actually, that’s not it at all. God’s Word is sure, certain, and trustworthy. It is Truth. And, it is that Truth that forms our faith. We believe, yes! But, we believe in an actual, historical, trustworthy, and knowable Truth.

Today, we finished some considerable pieces of Scripture — the books of the Kings and Chronicles. Did you notice something? Did you notice they line up with the words of the prophets we’ve been reading? Did you think about the different authors and their different backgrounds, experiences, and contexts? Did you see how they fit perfectly, a unity that not only gave the historical accounts, but the revelation of God Himself? Random? Coincidence? Not even close. It is the work of a gracious God, revealing Himself to us who need Him. Remember that — You can trust His Word!