November 8, 2023

How a king's choices impacted God's people

2 Kings 21-22

Erin O'Connor
Wednesday's Devo

November 8, 2023

Wednesday's Devo

November 8, 2023

Wednesday's Devo

November 8, 2023

Wednesday's Devo

November 8, 2023

Big Idea

Forgetting God's Word is the first step away from faithfulness.

Key Verse | 2 Kings 21:11-12

"Because Manasseh king of Judah has committed these abominations and has done things more evil than all that the Amorites did, who were before him, and has made Judah also to sin with his idols, therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing upon Jerusalem and Judah such disaster that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle."

2 Kings 21-22

Manasseh Reigns in Judah

1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hephzibah. 2 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel. 3 For he rebuilt the high places that Hezekiah his father had destroyed, and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. 4 And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, “In Jerusalem will I put my name.” 5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. 6 And he burned his son as an offering 1 21:6 Hebrew made his son pass through the fire and used fortune-telling and omens and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger. 7 And the carved image of Asherah that he had made he set in the house of which the LORD said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever. 8 And I will not cause the feet of Israel to wander anymore out of the land that I gave to their fathers, if only they will be careful to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the Law that my servant Moses commanded them.” 9 But they did not listen, and Manasseh led them astray to do more evil than the nations had done whom the LORD destroyed before the people of Israel.

Manasseh's Idolatry Denounced

10 And the LORD said by his servants the prophets, 11 “Because Manasseh king of Judah has committed these abominations and has done things more evil than all that the Amorites did, who were before him, and has made Judah also to sin with his idols, 12 therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing upon Jerusalem and Judah such disaster 2 21:12 Or evil that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle. 13 And I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line of Samaria, and the plumb line of the house of Ahab, and I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. 14 And I will forsake the remnant of my heritage and give them into the hand of their enemies, and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies, 15 because they have done what is evil in my sight and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers came out of Egypt, even to this day.”

16 Moreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides the sin that he made Judah to sin so that they did what was evil in the sight of the LORD.

17 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh and all that he did, and the sin that he committed, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 18 And Manasseh slept with his fathers and was buried in the garden of his house, in the garden of Uzza, and Amon his son reigned in his place.

Amon Reigns in Judah

19 Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Meshullemeth the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. 20 And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, as Manasseh his father had done. 21 He walked in all the way in which his father walked and served the idols that his father served and worshiped them. 22 He abandoned the LORD, the God of his fathers, and did not walk in the way of the LORD. 23 And the servants of Amon conspired against him and put the king to death in his house. 24 But the people of the land struck down all those who had conspired against King Amon, and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his place. 25 Now the rest of the acts of Amon that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 26 And he was buried in his tomb in the garden of Uzza, and Josiah his son reigned in his place.

Josiah Reigns in Judah

1 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in all the way of David his father, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.

Josiah Repairs the Temple

3 In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, the secretary, to the house of the LORD, saying, 4 “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may count the money that has been brought into the house of the LORD, which the keepers of the threshold have collected from the people. 5 And let it be given into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the LORD, and let them give it to the workmen who are at the house of the LORD, repairing the house 6 (that is, to the carpenters, and to the builders, and to the masons), and let them use it for buying timber and quarried stone to repair the house. 7 But no accounting shall be asked from them for the money that is delivered into their hand, for they deal honestly.”

Hilkiah Finds the Book of the Law

8 And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “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. 9 And Shaphan the secretary came to the king, and reported to the king, “Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the LORD.” 10 Then Shaphan the secretary told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it before the king.

11 When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes. 12 And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying, 13 “Go, inquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.”

14 So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter), and they talked with her. 15 And she said to them, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: ‘Tell the man who sent you to me, 16 Thus says the LORD, Behold, I will bring disaster upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the words of the book that the king of Judah has read. 17 Because they have forsaken me and have made offerings to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore my wrath will be kindled against this place, and it will not be quenched. 18 But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, thus shall you say to him, Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Regarding the words that you have heard, 19 because your heart was penitent, and you humbled yourself before the LORD, when you heard how I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the LORD. 20 Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring upon this place.’” And they brought back word to the king.

Footnotes

[1] 21:6 Hebrew made his son pass through the fire
[2] 21:12 Or evil

S2:218 2 Kings 21-22

Listen Now

Dive Deeper | 2 Kings 21-22

In these chapters, we see a stark contrast in leadership—one king who chooses what is right in his own eyes, and one who is faithful to choose what is right in God's eyes. Manasseh replaces Hezekiah as Judah's king; and, to put it bluntly, he's simply the worst. He leads Judah to a state worse than when they first entered the land. Fittingly, Manasseh's name means "forgetful." And in Manasseh's reign, Judah forgets the God who loves them and sought to save them.

I know when I first read this, it was easy for me to get frustrated with King Manasseh. How hard can it be to not build idols and just obey what the Lord has called you to do? The Lord quickly reminded me that, apart from Christ, I am much like Manasseh. And similarly, God has also given me a temple to oversee. As believers, God's Spirit now dwells inside of us, and we are walking temples that belong to Him. When you and I love things more than the Lord, we are doing exactly what King Manasseh did. 

Because the Lord is perfect and holy in righteousness, He cannot be affiliated with sin. His character is consistent, regardless of our sin or circumstances. The most loving thing God could do was to bring judgment on His people to turn their focus back to Him. Similar to the law, God's discipline was both a revealing of His character and a regulatory means to bring His people back to a right relationship with Him. 

Josiah, in contrast to Manasseh's wickedness, is a good king, but his reign shows us that even obedience to God's law cannot reverse generations of forgetfulness and idolatry. God's law is used to reveal our greatest need—a final savior. Unlike Josiah, who rose from his throne to die, Jesus rose from the dead to rule and save. In doing so, He secured the eternal destiny of God's people. There is now never an exile for those in King Jesus. God has not forgotten His people, nor will He. He always has a remnant to save and redeem.

This month's memory verse

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

– 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Discussion Questions

1. What are the idols you are currently worshiping in your heart?

2. Do you believe that Jesus Christ, the forever living king, is enough to satisfy the judgment of God? Why or why not? If yes, what does this belief mean for you in your day-to-day life, and how does it affect how you view any idols in your life?

3. What can these chapters tell you about the character of the Lord? Are your beliefs or thoughts about the Lord's character guided by His Word or by culture?

4. Do you know of anyone who might be affected by the idols you have made? If so, do you need to make amends and seek reconciliation with them?

5. Are you being affected or tempted by someone else's idols? How can you flee from this and redirect yourself to the truth of God's Word?

As we gear up to release even more features for Join The Journey in 2025, our staff team, unfortunately, no longer has the margin to continue to support the comment functionality. We have big things in store for Join The Journey 2025. Stay tuned!

HS

Hugh Stephenson

Good morning, Erin and all my JTJ siblings! Thank you for a great devo that dives deeply into Josiah, or as my friend Sue Bohlin says, “Good King Josiah”. Hi Sue! I love these two great and truthful reminders in your devo. “The Lord quickly reminded me that, apart from Christ, I am much like Manasseh. And similarly, God has also given me a temple to oversee.” “The most loving thing God could do was to bring judgment on His people to turn their focus back to Him.” Q1. & Q5. This is a HAHA questions. The real answer is “all of them”. But that’s apart from Christ. With him I am still subject to these temptations…just not a slave to them. Walking around North Dallas needs to be done with my eyes on the ground as there is just too much visual temptation in people, clothes, cars, trucks, houses etc. In Prodigal we learn a lot about idols. Usually it’s the broken relationship that brings the person there has a lot to do with them idolizing the other person and not setting appropriate boundaries. Q2. Ah yes, the key question. Yes, I do believe Jesus is enough for the full and complete judgement of God. As an analytical person it took me a while to read through enough info and to take enough classes that my heart was ready to receive the truth. I am thankful for the patience and forbearance of God during that period of time. Q3. God’s character? Perfectly just and perfectly judging. And merciful. And grace filled. I can look back over so many lost years and see this very clearly. What I love most is the plumb line he gives me. It’s the straight line to fullness of joy and abundance is His presence. I think it’s fair to say that the culture seems to know very little about God. Occasionally I hear or read some of the silliest statements imaginable. My heart goes out to them. I am thankful for the equipping I have but it’s hard to keep up with the cultural apostasy. Q4. Many were affected by my idolatry of work, opinions of others, escape hatches like booze, porn, TV sports etc. I have reached out to all who were on my re:gen inventory. There are several that I have not heard back from. Social media gave me some ideas as did mutual friends. Who knows if I’ll ever hear from them.
HS

Hugh Stephenson

Early on in Amy’s and my marriage I was asked to be a part the of the rotation of weekly reading of Scripture that was imbedded in the church liturgy. My first assignment was to read Amos 7:1-15. Here’s the key passage- Thus He showed me: Behold, the Lord stood on a wall made with a plumb line, with a plumb line in His hand. 8 And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” 
And I said, “A plumb line.” 
Then the Lord said:
“Behold, I am setting a plumb line
In the midst of My people Israel;
I will not pass by them anymore. What I learned is that the Biblical plumb line is a string with a weight on the end to make a wall vertically straight. I got the analogy right away. https://www.gotquestions.org/plumb-line-Bible.html Until then I had no idea what it was all about. I did not know what a plumb line was. What I learned is that it was sort of like the chalk coated string that builders would lay horizontally across a floor to make a straight line and then snap it so that the blue chalk would leave a clear line for the saw to follow. In Boy Scouts I learned the Scout oath in which each of us pledges to be “morally straight”. Here’s more about plumb lines in the Bible Isaiah 34:11; Isaiah 28:17; Lamentations 2:8; Amos 7:7–8 IS 34:11 But the hawk and the porcupine1 shall possess it, the owl and the raven shall dwell in it. He shall stretch the line of confusion2 over it, and the plumb line of emptiness. IS 2817 And I will make justice the line, and righteousness the plumb line; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overwhelm the shelter.” Lam 2:8 The LORD determined to lay in ruins the wall of the daughter of Zion; he stretched out the measuring line; he did not restrain his hand from destroying; he caused rampart and wall to lament; they languished together. Amos 7:7-8 This is what he showed me: behold, the Lord was standing beside a wall built with fa plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. 8 And the LORD said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, “Behold, I am setting fa plumb line in the midst of my people Israel; I will never again pass by them; You don’t have to be CS Lewis to figure this out. Here’s what the ESV SB notes say - 2 Kings 21:13 the measuring line ... the plumb line. The city will be assessed by the divine architect (cf. the use of the measuring line in Isa. 34:11; Lam. 2:8) and, like a dangerous building, will be condemned. So, what is my plumb line? The scholars say these verses refer to Deuteronomy, (2nd law). So that’s what it seems is the plumb line.
HS

Hugh Stephenson

The notes on “Good King Josiah" The years Josiah ruled were 640-609 B.C.: 31 years. During his reign Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, fell in 612 B.C., as did the Assyrian Empire in 609 B.C., to Babylon. Thus world leadership passed from Assyria to Babylon during Josiah's reign.[270] He is the only king described with the exact wording of Deuteronomy 6:5: he turned to the LORD "with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might." Hezekiah was praiseworthy for his great trust in Yahweh (18:5), and Josiah excelled in his obedience to Yahweh. Notice that in the sequence of reforms that the writer narrated, the discovery of the Law (22:8-13), which took place during the repairing of the temple (22:3-7), led to the other reforms. This order is another indication of the writer's purpose: He emphasized the centrality of the Law in Israel's life.[284] When leaders recommit themselves to following God’s Word wholeheartedly, good things result for their followers. "We don't need so-and-so's book; we need the Bible. We don't need the book of the month; we need the Book of the ages." "Those that most fear God's wrath are least likely to feel it."
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Michael Sisson

Re: 2Kgs 22:8 2Kgs 22:8 (NASB) Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, >>>“I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD.”<<< And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan who read it. How utterly appalling the Israelites had fallen into depravity so far the Torah was all but lost to them. Moreover, it would not seem an overstatement to say every Bible we have today can trace its chain of reproduction back to this one copy of the Torah. Re: 2Kgs 22:11-13 It’s worth noting Josiah’s immediate reaction to hearing the words of the rediscovered Torah. He is immediately expresses remorse and is moved repentance. He does not perceive the rediscovered Torah as burdensome, but rather as an opportunity for redemption in the sight of the L-RD.
JC

Jason Cromwell

The old saying goes, "As long as there is life, there is hope." That's so true in God's kingdom. No matter what we have done it's never too late (at least until your last breathe) to stop whatever sin has entangled your life so easily. In my own life it was relying on my own strength and overworking to build my name until a mysterious illness almost (literally) killed me. God didn't cause the illness, but He used it for me to have a greater reliance on His Strength and not my own.
JC

Jason Cromwell

I was blessed as an Army Brat to grow up in Nuremburg, Germany. A beautiful large city in the State of Bayern or Bavaria in English. This time of year people from all over the world flock there to attend the ever lovely Cristkindlemarkt (Christ Child Market) which starts Black Friday. Of all the beautiful things Nuremburg is known for it's also known as the very heart of darkness from 1933-1945 where the Nazis would hold their rallies, and after the War the Trails of those very people. When asked over and over why they did what they did each responded with, "I was just following orders." "All it takes for evil to prosper is for good men (and women) to do nothing." It may mean your Earthly life standing up to authority but there is always a far better reward than the ever fickle "Praises of men (and women)." Much like Israel in the Chapter 21 today they were just going with the flow instead of standing up for what is right. I used to do that a lot when I was younger, but as a Christian I no longer want to just go with the flow.
MS

Michael Scaman

Hezekiah was told that judgement would not come in his lifetime (but the next generation?) (and this was relief to a father that his kids owuld go through it? ) No wonder Manasseh had issues. Ruling over 50 years was not a sign of God's blessing but God's patience. The law was lost, for a long time. Perhaps it was the official copy they checked other copies from like a wieght at NIST? Regardless there are many ways to lose the law. We can even defend it but ignore it.
GJ

Greg Jones

Setting the scene. And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “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. 2 Kings 22:8 Hilkiah the priest-“Look what I found the Book of the Law. Hey Shaphon you want it?” So Shaphon took it and read it. And Shaphan the secretary came to the king, and reported to the king, “Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the LORD.” Then Shaphan the secretary told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it before the king. 2 Kings 22:9-10 Oh by the way we found an old book. Most scholars agree that the book found isn’t the whole book of the law but a copy of Deuteronomy. That would pretty much explain a prologue at the beginning of Deuteronomy. What’s this book we found? Answer: These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan in the wilderness. Deuteronomy 1:1. “Go, inquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.” 2 Kings 22:13 How great a wrath is Josiah talking about? When Deuteronomy is outlined Deuteronomy 27:1-28:68 is Moses’ third speech. The theme is blessings and curses you can get the whole scoop reading those chapters. And as the Lord took delight in doing you good and multiplying you, so the Lord will take delight in bringing ruin upon you and destroying you. And you shall be plucked off the land that you are entering to take possession of it. Deuteronomy 28:63 That’s a hard verse. On the surface or straight off the top “you” is personal. The Lord will take delight in bringing ruin and destroying “you”. I don’t want any part of that God. Some things or a something about me that the Lord takes delight in destroying and bringing to ruin, I trust He will and does. To not experience that is to experience less of who God is. As the deeper dive says Because the Lord is perfect and holy in righteousness, He cannot be affiliated with sin. His character is consistent, regardless of our sin or circumstances. The most loving thing God could do was to bring judgment on His people to turn their focus back to Him. Similar to the law, God's discipline was both a revealing of His character and a regulatory means to bring His people back to a right relationship with Him. (Really like that. Thank you Erin) Conventional wisdom says God gave his people a land, a blessing, taking people from the land given them, is the curse. I think all kings good and bad operated from that mind set with Hezekiah being a possible exception. I know I tend to view this that way. Jeremiah 29:1-14 God’s plan is to bless the exiles removed from the land. Those left in the land will experience “the plucking out”Jeremiah 29:15-23. The authority that comes with nationhood is removed from the exiled. So the remnant will be a nation, less nation”hood”. That is a new thing that had never been done before. Up to that point the defeated always took on the identity of the conquerors. From that standpoint it seems Israel as conquerors is judged by the LORD for taking on the identities of the people they conquered.
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Sue Bohlin

Thank you, Erin! And thank you Hugh for the shout out. I was SO glad to meet up with Good King Josiah again today. How refreshing! But first . . . Manasseh. :::wince::: How he broke God's heart. But he also did repent. In the parallel passage of Chronicles we read, "So the Lord brought against them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria. They seized Manasseh, put hooks in his nose, bound him with bronze chains, and carried him away to Babylon. In his pain Manasseh asked the Lord his God for mercy and truly humbled himself before the God of his ancestors. When he prayed to the Lord, the Lord responded to him and answered favorably his cry for mercy. The Lord brought him back to Jerusalem to his kingdom. Then Manasseh realized that the Lord is the true God." (2 Chronicles 33:12-19) Right now in the "Building Confident Christians" class that my husband Ray and I teach at a couple of home school organizations, I am addressing "The Value of Suffering"--how God uses pain and suffering for His glory and our good. One of my points is that suffering disciplines and matures us, making us a fit Bride for the Lamb who, like any groom, needs an adult grown-up to marry rather than a childish, self-centered spouse. Suffering burns up a great amount of shallowness, Oswald Chambers wrote. And that's what God did with Manasseh by humiliating this proudly ungodly king who refused to humble himself before the Lord.
AL

Amy Lowther

1. Currently, I am doing a lot better in the area of “idols” and “idolizing”. Currently, I am having more fun and getting more work done in areas of sports, championships, and jobs while not idolizing things I used to idolize. 2. I believe Jesus helps each of us prepare for the judgement of God. Jesus encourages each of us to do our best with God’s gifts available to us. Jesus helps me do good things when usually I would give up. Since I am a believer, my daily schedule includes reading the Bible and applying what I learn from the Bible in daily life. Jesus helps me work through potential idols and participate in life versus “being stiff” and not participating. 3. The Lord is strong. It is best to let the Lord’s Word guide my beliefs but I will be honest our culture affects my beliefs too. 4. Everything is good in this area at this time. 5. Probably I was tempted by idols of others when I was in school because we wanted to do things like their older brothers, sisters, and friends. I can reduce these temptations by staying to God’s truth that He loves each of us unconditionally and supports each of us to do good in EVERYTHING we do.
VJ

Victoria Jones

ERINNNNNN, bringing the the word! Thank you 🙌🔥👏