Well Ladies, here we are at the end of our 12th book together! Can you believe it?!?!? For those of you who have persevered, let me just say a BIG congratulations to you! You are getting close to half way through the Bible and that is quite an accomplishment! Do you feel blessed? Do you feel obedient? Do you feel closer to the Lord? YOU SHOULD!!!Josiah's Reforms: In Chapter 23, we see the changes continuing that king Josiah made once the Book of the Law was found. His first step was to organize a covenant-renewal ceremony. He read to all the people the Book of the Law that had been found. I wonder, what did all those people think about this missing Book of the Law? Were they heart broken that they had not been following all of these laws and in fear of what might happen to them? Or were they indifferent with a "Whatever!" type mentality? Did they hang their heads in shame and tear their clothes like king Josiah did or did they just stand there and listen with their minds wandering to other things? I am sure it was some sort of mixture of all these things. Josiah then continues to tear down ALL the idols and the things used to worship these idols. He is very methodical and thorough in his complete destruction of all of these detestable things. We also see him reinstate the Passover celebration that had not been celebrated since the time of the judges. Then all the good reforms and changes end with the death of Josiah. How far the people of Israel had fallen!!! Do we need reform? Do we truly live our lives to show and display the glory of God? Are there "idols" that we need to COMPLETELY destroy in our lives? Just some thoughts for self-examination. :)
Jerusalem Captured: I think this is one of the saddest times in all of Israelite history (and all of history for that matter). The precious and holy city of Jerusalem is captured and destroyed. The place where our Holy God dowelled was in ruins. The full brunt of Israel's idolatrous ways had fallen down upon them. This was the consequences for YEARS of their horrible and detestable sins. It had finally come. And as a result, the whole city was destroyed, the temple was destroyed, and the people were taken into captivity. This just breaks my heart! And a big part of the reason this breaks my heart so much is because I have seen the same things happen in my own life. I know I have broken God's heart more than I care to count!
Exile to Babylonian Captivity: There were apparently three separate deportations of the Israelites to Babylon under the rule of Nebuchadnezzar. The first one occurred during the reign of Jehoiachin, which was when king Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem and carried off most of the treasures of the temple and the royal palace. The second deportation happened after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. when the walls of the city were leveled and the temple was utterly destroyed. The last deportation appears to have taken place around 582 B.C. while king Nebuchadnezzar was reasserting his power over the whole region of Palestine. BUT the good news is that the land was still the Promised Land that God promised to Abraham WAY back in Genesis. It was still their land and is still their land to this day, regardless of who is occupying it. The land held onto its promise of a future return then and it holds onto the promise of a future return NOW. When our Lord comes back again (come quickly Lord Jesus!) the Promised Land will be settled for all time and Jesus' Kingdom will be established for ALL TIME!
So what about you? Have Satan's lies taken you into captivity and you are in "exile" from the Lord? Have your sins put you in a jail cell of guilt, shame, and feelings of despair? If you find yourself in this place (either a little OR a lot), please come to the One who has set all the captives FREE! He has the Keys to freedom and can set you free FOREVER!!! Come to JESUS!!!
"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty (freedom) to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound."
Isaiah 61:1 ESV
