5/13/2011 5:37:05 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus:
Joash—shallow
faithPt.3; Forsaking
Bible Reading
& Meditation Reference:
2Ki.
12:17-18; 2Chron. 24:15-22
Message of the verses: “17 ¶
Then Hazael king of Aram went up and fought against Gath and captured
it, and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem. 18 Jehoash king of Judah took all the sacred
things that Jehoshaphat and Jehoram and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah,
had dedicated, and his own sacred things and all the gold that was found among
the treasuries of the house of the LORD and of the king’s house, and sent them
to Hazael king of Aram. Then he went away from Jerusalem.”
“15
¶ Now when Jehoiada reached a ripe old
age he died; he was one hundred and thirty years old at his death. 16 They buried him in the city of David among
the kings, because he had done well in Israel and to God and His house. 17 But after the death of Jehoiada the officials of Judah
came and bowed down to the king, and the king listened to them. 18 They abandoned the house of the LORD, the God
of their fathers, and served the Asherim and the idols; so wrath came upon
Judah and Jerusalem for this their guilt. 19
Yet He sent prophets to them to bring them back to the LORD; though they
testified against them, they would not listen. 20 Then the Spirit of God came on Zechariah the
son of Jehoiada the priest; and he stood above the people and said to them, "Thus
God has said, ’Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD and do not
prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, He has also forsaken you.’"
21 So they conspired against him and at the command of the king
they stoned him to death in the court of the house of the LORD. 22 Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness which his father
Jehoiada had shown him, but he murdered his son. And as he died he said,
"May the LORD see and avenge!’”
As
you read this story about king Joash it gets worse and worse, but the part
about Jehoiada get better even after his death, for the people of Israel buried
him where the kings were buried and this was a great tribute to a great man who
had saved the dynasty but hiding the king when he was very young in order to
keep the dynasty of David intact.
In
many of Warren Wiersbe’s commentaries he has made a statement that has been
something that I want to always remember and that is it is important to finish
strong. Joash did not finish strong, for
in the end when Jehoiada dies he is influenced by the officials of Judah and
then idolatry again raises its ugly head in the nation of Judah and God begins
to discipline them through the king of Syria and so Joash gives that king money
which he takes from the temple of God in order for him not to attack Judah. Before this happen the son of Jehoiada tells
the people of the wrong that they are doing and the king gives orders to kill
the very son of the man who saved his life.
Spiritual meaning for my life: The statement that Warren Wiersbe makes about
finishing strong is something that I take to heart especially the older that I
get, for there are many reasons and temptations that come my way that can cause
me not to finish strong, but it is important to finish strong and not to be
like king Joash, who finished weak when the righteous high-priest died.
My Steps of
Faith for Today:
1.
Finish strong.
2.
Continue to learn contentment.
3.
Give myself to the Lord today for worship and for
service.
4.
Remember the battle that I face each day and put on
the spiritual armor in order to stand.
5/13/2011 6:13:00 AM
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