Wed.’s Devo - The Cost of Disobedience

Read: 2 Chronicles 24:1-25:28; Romans 12:1-21; Psalm 22:19-31; Proverbs 20:8-10 Joash’s name means “God has become man.” Joash was a type of Jesus as long as the priest, Jehoiada was alive. Jehoiada had raised him and was his counselor and guardian. Joash prepared the Temple and replenished all the things that had been taken out of the Temple by Athaliah and used to worship Baal. He had the Temple restored to its original design and strengthened it. When Jehoiada died, he was buried along with the kings because he had done so much good for Israel, and for God and his Temple. Once he died, the leaders of Judah came and bowed down to Joash and persuaded him to worship Asherah poles and idols instead. God sent Zechariah, Jehoiada’s own son to ask the people why they disobeyed Gods command’s and wanted to stop prospering. Joash had Zechariah stoned to death. Zechariah prayed that God would see what was happening and avenge his death. God did see and God did avenge. God sent the Aramen army against Joash. They killed all of Judah’s leaders and left with much plunder. Joash was severely wounded and his own officials killed him. They did it to atone the death of Zechariah. What a sad ending for such a great beginning. Amaziah, his son became king. He started out good also. Once he was established, he executed the men who killed his father. He did not kill their children according to the Law. Amaziah did an assessment of his army and didn’t think it was large enough so he hired 100,000 experienced fighting men from Israel for 100 talents of silver. God sent his prophet to tell him not to hire the troops from Israel or God would fight against him. When he complained about all the money he had paid to hire them the prophet said to him that God was able to give him more than that. This is such an encouraging word to us when we make mistakes and it costs us money. If we will just get back on the right road, God will repay all we have lost. Amaziah did sent the men home. They raided and stole all the way home (the price he had to pay for not asking God first). King Amaziah took his army against the Edomites and they won the battle but lost the war because they brought their idols home with them and worshipped them. God sent a prophet who asked them why they would worship gods who could not save their own people. The king tried to stop him in the middle of his words and threatened to kill him. The prophet stopped but left him with a warning that God was determined to destroy him because he refused to listen. Amaziah then threatened Jehoash, the king of Israel to a battle. They captured Amaziah, brought him back to his own city where he had to watch them demolishe 600 feet of Jerusalem’s wall, raid the sacred articles of the Temple including the ark and seize the treasure of the palace and take them all to Samaria. He was allowed to come back to Jerusalem years later where he was killed by his own people. In Romans, Paul urges us to let God change the way we think and transform us to think like he does. We should not judge ourselves by one another because we each have such different gifts. We need to know the gifts we have been given and use then with responsibility and gladness. He gave a list of things to live by and sums it up by saying don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good. Lord, help us to love one another and live our lives in peace with everyone.