KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Sunday, August 05, 2018
Chapters: II Kings 22-23, II Chronicles 34-35
Message: The All Powerful Word of God
Hello My Friend,
There are some powerful things in the world, and most of them come from God Himself, wind, rain, lightning, tornadoes, hurricanes, all these forces are acts from God and can cause some pretty catastrophic events, but there is one thing more powerful than anything on earth, and that is the Word of God. Why do you think so many reject it? Conviction. There is great power in the only book that brings conviction through the words of the only living God. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” – Hebrews 4:12.
“intents of the heart.” Intent; Literally, having the mind strained or bent on an object. The reason why the Word of God is so powerful is because it really does get to the intents of our heart, and if there is corruption in it, we are going to feel the sting, which is why so many reject it. Now, after have learned of two wicked kings ruling over Judah, we learn of Josiah, a Godly king, who walked in the ways of David, he was king at the age of eight,
“Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left. For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images. And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that were on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strowed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them. And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.” – II Chronicles 34:1-5.
“he began to seek after the God of David his father:” You do not need the Bible in order to walk with God, before His Word was penned down those who sought Him did so by faith, but they developed their walk with Him through obedience, you know, self control, living a moral and corrupt free life. Back then they only knew what to do in their own eyes, which is why God gave us His Word, so we can know how to walk with Him His way. When he turned eighteen, Josiah had all the idols and groves removed out of the Temple, and began restoring it. Upon cleaning the temple, the high priest discovered something that was hidden for centuries, the Word of God. As they read through it and brought the information to the king, when Josiah heard it he was devastated and sought someone who understood the words better to see what would come of them.
“And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, that the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of the LORD, saying, Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may sum the silver which is brought into the house of the LORD, which the keepers of the door have gathered of the people: And let them deliver it into the hand of the doers of the work, that have the oversight of the house of the LORD: and let them give it to the doers of the work which is in the house of the LORD, to repair the breaches of the house, And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. And Shaphan the scribe shewed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king. And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.” – II Kings 22:3-5,8,10-11.
“that he rent his clothes.” An incredible thing happens to a person who accepts Christ and begins reading His Word, it convicts them, which means it makes them aware of sin they never knew existed. As much as we love God and want to live a life that is pleasing to Him, the only way we can do that is by reading and doing what is written in His Word. Josiah decided he needed help understanding exactly what was going to happen, he sent Hilkiah to a prophetess who helped the interpret what they read.
“And the king commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Abdon the son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king’s, saying, Go, enquire of the LORD for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do after all that is written in this book. Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah: Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be poured out upon this place, and shall not be quenched. And as for the king of Judah, who sent you to enquire of the LORD, so shall ye say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel concerning the words which thou hast heard; Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the LORD. Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of the same. So they brought the king word again.” – II Chronicles 34:20-21,24-28.
“Because thine heart was tender,” Because Josiah was a Godly king, God spared him from the judgment that was about to come, but there was nothing that could be done this time to change God’s mind. Jesus will return one day, and when He does all the earth will be judged, and only those who are saved will be able to escape it. While we still have Godly leaders among us, God will spare us of the judgment, but His judgment stands. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” – II Peter 3:9-10.
As Josiah learned the truth he gathered the entire nation together and the word of God was read. After reading it, a huge spiritual revival took place, people repented, turned to God, and all the abominations were removed out of the Temple and Judah.
“And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the LORD. And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant. And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Bethel. Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he brake down, and burned the high place, and stamped it small to powder, and burned the grove.” – II Kings 23:2-4,15.
“Moreover the altar that was at Bethel,” The very first altar built for a false god after Israel became divided was destroyed. Believe it or not, some of the biggest offenders of the Word of God are the very people who proclaim Him, they bring idols and images into the church, burn incense, and worship those over God. While God accepts all who come to Him we cannot ignore His Word, He will remove anyone or thing that corrupts the church out of his sight. Josiah did not stop with Judah, they went throughout all of Israel and removed everything they could find that would lead the people into sin. And for the first time in centuries the Passover was restored as it was intended. Unfortunately, we learn of his untimely death shortly after over one act of disobedience.
“After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Carchemish by Euphrates: and Josiah went out against him. But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, What have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? I come not against thee this day, but against the house wherewith I have war: for God commanded me to make haste: forbear thee from meddling with God, who is with me, that he destroy thee not. Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and hearkened not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo.” – II Chronicles 35:20-22.
“forbear thee from meddling with God,” We cannot mess with God’s Word, what He says goes, and even though the judgment still stands, He gives us ample warning to prepare. Remember, ignorance does not save us, God will rid the earth of all those who provoked Him, rebelled against His Word, changed His Word, reject His Word, and in case you did not know, Jesus is the Word, so if those who reject Him you are rejecting God and His Word. “He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” – John 1:11-14.
Jesus Christ Magnified: “And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover unto the LORD your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant.” – II Kings 23:21.
Today’s Prayer: God, I know that the Bible is not some ordinary book, it is Your Word, it contains life and gives life to all who want You in their lives. Reading Your Word, studying it, and following it will never return void as we allow the Holy Spirit in us to guide us to know what truly is and is not acceptable to You. Help me to follow Your commands with all might heart and soul, lead me to others who need You so they too can learn the truth and be saved before Jesus comes to claim us. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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