Sun.’s Devo - Righteous Leadership

Read: 2 Chronicles 26:1-28:27; Romans 13:1-14; Psalm 23:1-6; Proverbs 20:11 After Amaziah’s assassination by his men, his son Uzziah became king. He was 16 years old and reigned 52 years doing what pleased the Lord. Because he feared the Lord, God gave him victory over the Philistines, the Arabs and the Meunites. He was able to fortify his towns and built up an amy of 307,500 men who are all elite troops. They were armed with every weapon imaginable. He built back the walls of Jerusalem that had been torn down by the Israelites. *** Sadly, his power and favor led to pride which destroyed him. He entered the Temple of the Lord and began to offer incense on the incense altar that only the priests were suppose to do. Eighty priests following after him and tried to stop him. He became furious at the priests but God struck him with leprosy and they rushed him out of the Temple. He had to live isolated from that time on. His son Jotham was put in charge of the palace and governing the people. *** Jotham was 25 years old when he became the king and ruled 16 years. He started out like his father Uzziah, following the Lord. He rebuilt the upper gate of the Temple and repaired more of the wall. He built towns and fortresses and towers to protected them against their enemies. His enemies paid him much tribute and when he became powerful, he stayed humble before the Lord. *** Jotham’s son, Ahaz became king after him. He did not follow the Lord but worshipped Baal and other gods and idols. God allowed the king of Aram to defeat him and exile many of his people to Damasucus. Israel also defeated Ahaz and killed over a third of his army in a single day. They also killed one of his sons and his commander and second commander. They took 200,000 women and children as slaves to Samaria. *** Obed the prophet met the army of Israel as they were returning home and told them that heaven was disturbed at what they had done to Judah. God allowed them to defeat Judah but not treat them savagely. He told them to return the women and children to Judah and not make them slaves. *** The warriors release the prisoners and handed them over to the leaders of Samaria. They clothed them, gave them sandals, food and drink and tended to their wounds. Then they returned them to Jericho. *** King Ahaz of Judah wanted to defend their country against the Edomites who were invading their land. They asked the Assyrians to help them When the king of Assyria, Tiglath-pileser arrived to help, he attacked Jerusalem instead. Ahaz took valuable items from the Lord’s Temple and from the wealthy leader’s homes and gave them to the king of Assyria but this didn’t help him. *** King Ahaz refused to turn to the Lord and began offering sacrifices to the gods of the Assyrians thinking their gods might help him. It led to his ruin and Judah’s. *** Ahaz destroyed items from the Temple and shut its doors so no one could worship there. He set up pagan altars all around Jerusalem and led Judah in worshipping other gods. When he died his son Hezekiah became the king. *** In Romans, it tells us that God is the one who places people in authority. He speaks of authority that is right and that honors you for going good. We are under an ungodly authority right now who commands us to do wrong. We have to obey God rather than man and know the difference between a godly leader and an ungodly leader. God will judge our leaders. Our job is to follow the Lord and his Word. *** Paul said that the law of God is love. If we fulfill the law of love, we will fulfill all of the law. We should live like we follow the Lord who is righteous in all his ways.