Good morning, everyone!
Today I read 2 Kings 23-25.
Josiah makes a covenant to serve God all of his life. He does this in front of all the elders of Judah, and they also swear.
They remove all the foreign gods, altars, high places and foreign priests from Judah, and restore God's temple. Completely.
He also reinstates the Passover, which the people have not observed for a long time.
But God's anger was still kindled against the people, as He said it would be.
Soon, Josiah dies - quickly in battle - and a new king takes his place. This new king, Jehoaz, his son, does evil in the sight of God.
Pharaoh Neco of Egypt, who killed King Josiah, takes Jehoaz to Egypt and enslaves him there, making his son king instead. Pharaoh demands gold and silver from Judah, and Jehoakim taxes the people in order to make it happen. He also does evil in the sight of God.
And so God allows Babylon to overtake them.
King Nebuchadnezzar comes and makes Jehoakim, king of Judah, his servant, but Jehoakim rebels. Judah gets sacked, and the people are deported to Babylon as captives, even the king. And King Nebuchadnezzar made his uncle king of Judah, in Jerusalem.
And the temple of God is raided, and its treasures are taken.
God allowed this to happen because of the continued disobedience of the people. Continued disobedience.
I'll be honest, it makes my skin crawl to think of God's temple being raided. But God needs no earthly treasure. He created all things, and all things belong to Him alone, no matter who claims it temporarily here on earth.
But wait and see what happens later, when the people are in Babylon.
I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read 1 Chronicles 1-2.
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