Sun.’s Devo - Followers of Christ

Read: 2 Chronicles 35:1-36:23; 1 Corinthians 1:1-17; Psalm 27:1-4; Proverbs 20:20-21
When the temple had been repaired, Josiah had a huge Passover celebration and did it right. He provided 33,000 sheep, goats and cattle for the people and his officials offered 2,600 sheep and cattle, and the Levites offered 5,000. So in all, they sacrificed 50,600 offerings to the Lord. They brought the ark, carried on the shoulders of the priests and put it in the Holy of Holies and sacrificed the animals and the people all ate and celebrated. The Passover had not been celebrated like that since the days of Samuel. This was Josiah’s 18th year of his reign.
The king of Egypt, Neco, went to wage war on Israel and Josiah went to oppose him with his army. God had sent Neco to fight Israel because Israel had fallen so far away from him. Neco tried to stop Josiah from entering a battle that had nothing to do with him but Josiah refused to listen and fought anyway. Josiah died in this battle and so began the downfall and judgement of Judah that had been prophesied by Huldah. Jeremiah gave Josiah’s eulogy.
Josiah’s son, Jeconiah reigned 3 months before he was taken prisoner to Egypt. His brother Eliakim was made leader and he was made to pay Egypt a heavy tax. Eliakim reigned in Jerusalem for 11 years and did evil in the Lord’s eyes. The king of Babylon came against Jerusalem and stole many of their precious things out of the temple. Eliakim was bound with shackles and taken to Babylon. Jehoiachin, his son became king and he only reigned for 3 months and 10 days. He was evil and the king of Babylon took him also.
Next, Zedekiah became king for 11 years. He also did evil in the eyes of the Lord. He refused to heed the warnings of Jeremiah or any of the prophets. Instead they ridiculed and persecuted the prophets until Babylon came and took them captive to Babylon. Everything from the temple was taken and the building set on fire. The land enjoyed its Sabbath rests that it had not had during the time the people were there until the reign of king Cyrus of Persia. Cyrus proclaimed that God had appointed him to build a temple fo him in Jerusalem.
Paul wrote a letter to the church he had planted in Corinth. Corinth was formed when Claudius drove the Jews out of Rome. Many went to Corinth and their leaders were Aquilla and Priscilla. Paul had the favor of the leader of the synagogue in Corinth because he had become a believer in Jesus. Paul had gone on to visit his other churches but whenever he learned of problems any of the churches were having he would send a letter. He the church at Corinth that they were rich in the spiritual gifts. He told them that their faith would keep them strong till the end.
One of the problems they were facing was division in leadership. They were “followers” of certain people and God wanted them to be followers of Christ. Paul reminded them of whose name they were baptized into; it wasn’t his, it was Christ’s.
Lord, thank you for this reminder that your church is everywhere and You are the head of it.