God wants you. He wants you to be in a right relationship with Him. He wants you to serve Him and only Him. Because of this great desire, He will use any means necessary to get your attention.
Some people need to only hear the preaching of the Gospel a few times, and they will surrender their heart to their Lord. Others, it takes a traumatic experience to help them realize their need for God. And for still more, it takes the chastisement of God to get ahold of them.
In the time of Hezekiah, God’s chastisement was upon Israel for the sins that his father, Ahaz, had led the children of Israel into. The people were serving false gods on literally every corner:
2 Chronicles 28:24 KJV:
And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the Lord, and he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem.
Ahaz was breaking the very first commandment: thou shall have no other gods before me (Exo. 20:3). The Lord was very displeased with Ahaz’s decisions and punished (or chastised) the people for their sin.
When Hezekiah, Ahaz’s son, takes the throne, his first action is to reverse the chastisement that the Israelite people were facing:
2 Chronicles 29:10 KJV
Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us.
God was not using his “fierce wrath” to be vindictive. He was using it as a punishment to get the people to turn back to Him. The Lord will use any means necessary to get ahold of us and get us to turn to Him.
Thankfully, Hezekiah did turn, and under his leadership, the nation began to once again serve the Lord. Pray for your leaders! The direction they steer the country can have dramatic affects on our land and it’s prosperity:
2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Some people need to only hear the preaching of the Gospel a few times, and they will surrender their heart to their Lord. Others, it takes a traumatic experience to help them realize their need for God. And for still more, it takes the chastisement of God to get ahold of them.
In the time of Hezekiah, God’s chastisement was upon Israel for the sins that his father, Ahaz, had led the children of Israel into. The people were serving false gods on literally every corner:
2 Chronicles 28:24 KJV:
And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the Lord, and he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem.
Ahaz was breaking the very first commandment: thou shall have no other gods before me (Exo. 20:3). The Lord was very displeased with Ahaz’s decisions and punished (or chastised) the people for their sin.
When Hezekiah, Ahaz’s son, takes the throne, his first action is to reverse the chastisement that the Israelite people were facing:
2 Chronicles 29:10 KJV
Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us.
God was not using his “fierce wrath” to be vindictive. He was using it as a punishment to get the people to turn back to Him. The Lord will use any means necessary to get ahold of us and get us to turn to Him.
Thankfully, Hezekiah did turn, and under his leadership, the nation began to once again serve the Lord. Pray for your leaders! The direction they steer the country can have dramatic affects on our land and it’s prosperity:
2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Amy Smalley
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