God’s people were seduced, and led astray by the very king(s) He allowed to rise to power. (2 Kings 21:1-2,9; Dan. 2:21; Prov. 21:1). And if you think God does not operate (allow things) like that to happen anymore... you might give 2 Thess. 2:9-12 another read over. Let me give you a moment or two to ponder this.

Hopefully, you read yesterday’s message as we are attempting to gain a better understanding of the link between the God of the old testament and the very same God of the new testament, whom Jesus embodied (Heb. 1:1-2; Col. 1:15). I even left you with a short reading assignment to prepare for today’s message, found in 2 Kings 21. I’m wondering if anyone made good use of the highlighter I recommended having on hand for that read?

We learn in that text ...of the rise of king Manasseh who took the throne at the young age of 12, succeeding his father, Hezekiah. Manasseh’s reign lasted 55 years and we are told that from the very start...”he did much evil in the sight of the Lord” (1-6). In fact, we learn that he actually did things that were just as evil, if not worse...than what those previous Canaanite nations had done who God instructed for them to be removed from the land when He first led His people in to take possession of it.

In reviewing this time period for this study, I was reminded of an instance when God ‘withdrew Himself’ from king Hezekiah, towards the end of his life to ‘test him and see what was in his heart’ (2 Chron. 32:31). Hezekiah did not perform well on that test; and as I like to ask here from time to time...’When did God change?” (Deut. 8:2; 1 Thess. 2:4; Mal. 3:6) Man has not changed much either...when ‘left to their own devices’ (Ps. 81:12)

So now back to 2 Kings 21 where we learn the various ways in which king Manasseh had defiled the temple of God...and God was indeed ‘provoked to anger’ (10-15). There is some vivid imagery used in that text describing how God is about to “bring calamity”(12)...and ‘wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down’ (13). He then makes it known that He is also going to ‘deliver His people into the hand of their enemies and they shall become victims of plunder to all their enemies...because they have done evil in His sight and provoked Him to anger...” (14-15) (Who is our ‘enemy’ today? 1 Pet. 5:8)

The reason it’s important for us to take our time with this is so that not only can we gain more insight to God’s nature and character, but also to help us connect more dots with what we are seeing even today since this same God who never changes is very much present in this world today and desires for us to repent, and come to Him so that He can bless and protect us; but those promises come with conditions. So let’s connect some of those dots now.

We know that God no longer lives in temples built with men’s hands...but we are His temple. (Acts 17:24; 1 Cor. 3:16-17) And what ‘defiles’ our temples today, according to Jesus? (Mark 7:21-23) And what does Paul exhort us to take note of in Romans 11:19-22? (God’s ‘goodness and ______’?)

Friends...make no mistake about this: God is indeed...’love’ (1 John 4:16-19), and He truly desires for us to come to Him that we might have life, and life to the fullest (John 10:10; 5:40). But may I also ask...what do we learn from the 2nd commandment as explained in Deut. 5:8-10? (This would be found in the same 10 Commandments that Texas just deemed necessary to be on display in every public school classroom in the state.). Do we learn there that God is a ‘jealous God’ and can be provoked to anger, even ‘visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children of the 3rd and 4th generation....but... shows mercy to thousands (of generations) to those who love Him and keep His commandments”? Did Jesus not say that “IF...we love Him...we will do what? (John 14:15; 15:12)

When king Manasseh died, his son Amon rose to the throne at the age of 22; and he was just as evil as his father was, not walking in the ways of the Lord at all (22). But his two year reign was cut short when some servants of his conspired to kill him. That...opened the door for his 8 year old son, Josiah to succeed him on the throne, which takes us into chapter 22 of 2 Kings.

For reasons unknown to us, or me at least (why then and now?)...the tide begins to turn as we are told that young Josiah took a different path and actually “did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the ways of his father (ancestor) David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.” (2 Kings 22:1-2). I’m guessing there must have been some influential people close by who helped direct him; he was after all...only 8 years old. Yeah...go figure.

As we read on, we learn that during the 18th year of his reign, there was a ‘renovation project’ underway on God’s temple (3-7). The temple was in much needed repair due to years, if not decades of neglect, vandalism and most likely desecration by his predecessors, especially during the reign of his father and grandfather. We learned in chapter 21 that Manasseh had erected multiple altars and shrines and images for idol worship in the very temple itself. Now let me ask you this...keeping in mind that these OT stories are a foreshadow of things to come, and have ‘spiritual insights and applications’ for us today. So one more time– who or what is God’s ‘temple’ today? And what did Jesus say brings ‘defilement’ to God’s temple, according to Mark 7:21-23?

Do we know what kind of effect ‘sin’ had/has on God’s people, back then...and today as well? Sin brings death and destruction and decay in all areas of our lives. It may be ‘slow decay’ like ‘moths and rust’ operate...but sin always leads to ‘worse things’ (John 5:14; Luke 13:3,5). And why are “God’s people destroyed’? (Hosea 4:6). I pointed out the other day...the ‘lack of knowledge’ that leads to this ‘destruction’ has to do with our ignorance of God’s laws...and the accompanying ‘wrath’ that it brings. What prompted this series of lessons was my earlier statement saying we are living in a time similar to the times of Josiah...where the ‘law had been lost’. But that does not mean the ensuing consequences of breaking HIs laws cease from existing simply because the people ‘didn’t know’. And that is all about to change for Josiah and the people. Meet me back here tomorrow and we will explore more, then.