Thurs.’s Devo - Hezekiah’s End

Read: 2 Kings 20:1-22:2; Acts 21:17-36; Psalm 150:1-6; Proverbs 18:9-10 Hezekiah became deathly sick and Isaiah came and told him to put his house in order because he was going to die. Hezekiah cried out to the Lord and reminded him of how he faithfully served him. Isaiah was sent back to tell Hezekiah that the Lord was giving him 15 years more to live. He also told him how to cure his illness. *** Hezekiah asked for a sign that he would be healed and Isaiah gave him the choice of letting the sun go forward or back ten steps on the sundial. He choose for them to go back, so time went back ten steps. *** Merodach-baladan the king of Babylon sent Hezekiah gifts and letters wishing him well. When his ambassadors came to present them to Hezekiah, he showed them all the riches in his kingdom. When they had gone, Isaiah came and told Hezekiah that Babylon would one day come and take all the treasures that he had shown them away to Babylon. Some of his sons would be taken away to become eunuchs in Babylon. Hezekiah was happy that it wouldn’t happen in his life time. You would think that Hezekiah would spend his remaining years preparing his son to follow after the Lord and delay the judgment of the nation, but Hezekiah became proud during these days and produced a son who would be the most evil of all kings before him. *** Hezekiah lived his 15 years and died. His son who was only 13 became king. His name was Manasseh. He reigned 55 years. He rebuilt all the temples to the foreign gods and shed much innocent blood. He led Judah astray to do more evil than all the nations before them had done. *** God’s prophets warned the people of the disaster that was coming because they had abandoned him for idols. Jerusalem’s fall would be worse than Samaria’s. Manasseh died and his son Amon became the king. *** Amon was 21 when he became king and only reigned 2 years. He was evil like his father and worshiped idols. His servants assassinated him in his own home. The people made Manasseh’s son Josiah the king. Josiah was only 8 years old and did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in the ways of David. *** In Acts, Paul, Luke and others met with James and the believers there in Jerusalem. Paul told them how the Lord was welcoming Gentiles into his family and they rejoiced. They warned Paul that men had spread rumors that he taught against Moses’ law and told Jews not to be circumcised. To show that Paul followed the Law, they told him to join with 4 men who were making a Nazarite vow to the Lord. They were hoping that when they see Paul following the Law they will understand that he still honors the Law. *** Paul did do this. But, when these Jews saw Paul in the Temple they tried to seize him because they thought he had brought his Gentile friend into the Temple. They dragged Paul out of the Temple and planned to kill him but the tribunal heard about it and sent soldiers to stop the crowd from killing Paul. They arrested Paul and asked him what he had done The crowd was shouting out their accusations but it was so chaotic the solders couldn’t get to the truth. They had Paul brought to the barracks so they could find out what was going on. *** Lord, may we learn from our past and not repeat the same mistakes. May our walk be blameless and pleasing in your sight. Forgive the leaders who have gone before us and grant us righteous leaders to lead our nation back to You.