Fri.’s Devo - The Passover

Read: 2 Chronicles 35:1-36:23; 1 Corinthians 1:1-17; Psalm 27:1-6; Proverbs 20:20-21 After Josiah had cleansed the land he announced that all Israel would celebrate the Passover. People from all over Israel came to celebrate with him bringing their animals for sacrifice. Every thng went according to the book of Moses and it was a celebration like nothing before. *** Passover always leads to warfare with Satan. Passover stands for our salvation in Christ and the devil will always come to challenge that. In Josiah’s case his adversary was the king Necco of Egypt. King Nico was taking his army to battle at Carchemish on the Euphrates River. They were just passing through their land but Josiah took that as a threat and brought his army to challenge King Necco. King Necco told Josiah that he had no quarrel with him and asked him not to get involved but Josiah refused to listen to him. He led his army to the plain o Megiddo and battled with Egypt. Josiah was wounded by an arrow and brought back to Jerusalem where he died. All of Judah and Jerusalem mourned for him and the prophet Jeremiah composed a funeral song for him. *** When he died, his son Jehoahaz became king of Judah. He only ruled three months when the king of Egypt deposed him and demanded tribute paid to him. He installed Eliakim, Jehoahaz’s brother as the next king of Judah. Necco changed his name to Jehoiakim and took his brother, Jehoahaz to Egypt as a prisoner. *** Jehoaikim was evil in God’s sight and the king of Babylon came and took him as a prisoner to Babylon. He also took some of the treasures from the Temple and placed him in his evil palace. After Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin became the next king of Judah. He only reigned three months and ten days. He was evil also. He was taken to Babylon as a prisoner also with more of the Temple treasures. Nebuchadnezzar installed his uncle Zedikiah as the next king in Judah. Zedekiah was 21 when he came to rule and ruled for 11 years. He was also evil and refused to humble himself even when God sent Jeremiah to speak to him and turn him to the Lord. The people and the priests also rebelled against the Lord and worshipped idols. *** God sent many prophets to turn their hearts back to him but they refused to answer so God had no choice but to give them over to their own evil desires. The king of Babylon came against them and killed their young men and women and the old and infirmed having no mercy. Nebuchadnezzar took any thing of worth left in the Temple before burning it down. He tore down the walls of Jerusalem destroying everything of value. The few survivors were taken to Babylon as slaves. They remained as slaved until Cyrus came to power. *** The land of Judah enjoyed its Sabbaths for 70 years as it laid unoccupied. When Cyrus of Persia came to power, he declared that God had put in his heart to build a Temple to the Lord in Jerusalem. He sent back anyone who wanted to return to Jerusalem. *** Paul wrote a letter to the believers in Corinth commending them of their gifts and the way the church had grown in knowledge. They had all the needed to remain strong until Christ returned so that they would be free from all blame on the day of judgment. *** Paul appealed to them to stop quarreling about whose leader that were following. That was unimportant The thing that was important was that they followed Christ. *** An example of that would be how we boast of what church we are from which doesn’t matter to God. We are all part of the same Church - the Ecclesia of Christ. *** Lord, may we all become one in our devotion to You. May we break down the walls of denominations and church buildings and all worship you in one heart and one Spirit.