Podcast Introduction

Today we will complete the book of  2 Kings 21-25. I’ll have comments on both chapters after the reading, and I’m calling today’s episode “A Treasure For Future Generations.”

Comments on 2 Kings 22, 23, 25

Thoughts on 2 Kings 22 

In chapter 22, we see that Hilkiah the high priest found the Book of the Law in the Temple.

Let’s look at the context of this discovery. The last righteous king before Josiah, who was the king that ordered Hilkiah to begin repairing the now dilapidated Temple, was Hezekiah. Fifty-seven years passed between the end of Hezekiah’s reign and the beginning of Josiah’s reign. It was in the eighteenth year of Josiah’s reign that he began the repairs. That means that the Temple had been neglected for seventy-five years.

It’s no wonder that the Book of the Law had been lost. It was probably even forgotten, and it is quite probable that it was the only existing written copy of  God’s Law! Think of it. At this point there were hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years of Jewish history, from the time that God gave Moses the tablets after miraculously delivering them from Egypt’s Pharaoh, to King David, to Solomon’s building of the Temple, and on  and on up until this King Josiah decides that the Temple must be repaired. 

How gracious God is that He preserved this document! And now, realize that every copy since then came from that long lost book. The Bible that you hold in your hand is a treasure. It is life. It is the Word of the Living God. And if it had not been for Josiah’s decision to repair the Temple, who knows where we would be today. But of course, God was and is always faithful.

I am a tech guy. I love that we have access to just about every version and every translation of the Bible because of the internet. They’re available on our desktop computers, our notebook computers, our tablets and our handheld devices. I love it! 

But I deeply believe that everyone who calls him/herself a believer should own at least one hard copy of the Bible. Because, what happens if we no longer have access to these electronic copies? Don’t laugh. It could happen. Internet censorship is real in some areas of the world, and it could spread. As a matter of fact, I believe that when the antichrist takes over, he will make it a worldwide thing, and Bibles will disappear from the ‘net. 

Where will we be then? We will only have the printed Word. 

Even if that doesn’t happen in our lifetime, we should still have at least one printed Bible. There is something special about holding the book in your hands. It is a truly awesome experience to leaf through the pages of a well-worn Bible and discover God’s truths. I have shelves full of Bibles sitting within easy reach right now. Each one is special, but I have a couple of Bibles that I dearly love. One of them belonged to my great grandmother. She wrote notes in it as she read, and she has the dates of the three times she read through from Genesis to Revelation. I’ll bet she had no idea that one day her great grandson would own her Bible. Will your descendants have a treasure like that? Not if your only Bible is an app on your phone.

Have a printed Bible. Write in it. Make notes. Keep a sort of spiritual diary in it. Talk to generations yet unborn.

Thoughts on 2 Kings 23 

In chapter 23 we see that the good and righteous king Josiah did everything possible to thoroughly remove every unclean and unholy and idolatrous item from the land. He went to great lengths to be sure there was nothing left or that could ever be recovered that was against the Law of God. 

Note that Josiah did this after God had declared through the prophetess Huldah that He would bring disaster upon this place and upon its inhabitants because they had forsaken Him and had made offerings to other gods. And God said, “…therefore my wrath will be kindled against this place, and it will not be quenched.”

It is to Josiah’s credit that he still went forth with his reforms. He could have given up, and just waited for God to bring His judgment. But he didn’t. And sure enough, disaster did come upon them, but only after Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt killed him in battle.

So let’s look at this. Josiah cleaned the place up, and he brought God’s Law back to Judah. Why didn’t God turn from His wrath?

I believe that it is because God looks at the heart, not just the actions. Remember the Sermon on the Mount? Jesus said that if you have thought of doing an unrighteous act, you have done the act. (Rough paraphrase.) God looked at the hearts of the people of Judah. Even though Josiah (whose heart was right) made the people follow the Law through his authority as king, they still longed after those ungodly and idolatrous things they used to do. Outwardly, they did right. But inwardly, they had not changed.

One more thing. Did you know that death is not the worst thing that can happen to you? With the death of Josiah by Pharaoh Neco, God spared Josiah from seeing what was coming down on Judah. It was a merciful act on God’s part. It was not a judgment against him.

Thoughts on 2 Kings 25 

Eight hundred sixty years after Joshua led them into the Promised Land, the Jews lost it because of their failure to follow God’s Law. How many times had He told them, “If you will but turn from your wicked ways, I will restore you.” But time and time again they went back to their sinful ways like a dog returns to his vomit. It is sad, but it is a sobering reminder that even though God is love, He is a righteous and holy God. 

Patience does not imply weakness or the condoning of evil. It does not indicate forgetfulness. When warning after warning is given and ignored, it should not be a surprise when patience ends and judgment falls. 

Some Christians have a casual attitude regarding grace. They think that because God doesn’t send fire from Heaven or the ground to open up and swallow sinners, that He does not take sin seriously. They think that since “Jesus paid it all”, then sin is no big deal. 

Nothing could be further from the truth. 

Sin…my sin…your sin…is the reason Jesus was beaten beyond recognition and then brutally nailed to a rough hewn, splinter filled wooden cross in the most brutal execution method ever devised by man. 

Do you honestly think God is soft on sin? 

The only reason you and I do not have to face the consequences of our sin is because of the infinitely selfless sacrifice made by the sinless Lamb of God, Jesus of Nazareth, the carpenter, the son of Mary, the Son of the Living God. Yes, He was (and is) God, but He was also human. The prospect of making that sacrifice was terrifying. Reread His prayer at Gethsemane if you doubt it. As He hung on the cross, He felt excruciating pain. 

Is God soft on sin?

No. He. Is. Not. God’s judgment, ALL of it, fell on Jesus.

So the grace that brings forgiveness to me and to you (if you are a follower of Jesus) was not, and is not cheap. Never forget it, and always be thankful for it.

If you have not given your life to Jesus, don’t be like the Jews and think that God’s patience with you means He doesn’t care, isn’t paying attention, or worse yet…isn’t there. The Jews were His chosen people. He loved them. But He brought severe judgment on them. The time eventually came when time was up, and they were taken into captivity. Your time will come, too. It might come today, tomorrow, next year or 50 years from now. Each of us is working on finite time. Don’t let time run out before you accept the gift of grace offered by Jesus that He paid so dearly for.

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 21-24 ESV; Ch. 25 CEB

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The Team

Transcript Correction: Lifespring Family Berean, Sister Denise
Podcasting 2.0 Chapters: Lifespring Family Berean, Brother Sean of San Pedro and Lifespring Family Berean, Brother Michael Haner
Show Art: Lifespring Family Berean, Brother Scott Snider and Lifespring Family Berean Jason Paschall
Newsletter Publisher: Lifespring Family Berean, Sister Brittaney