February 22, 2024

Passage Read: 2 Kings 20-23
Meditation Verse: 20:6

Thought

The Lord continues His mercy and kindness to Judah and Jerusalem because of His promise to David. Again and again, He mentions David as His reason to spare Jerusalem, even when they do wrong. Until Manasseh comes along. Then from that time until He abandons Judah and Jerusalem to their enemies to be destroyed, He names Manasseh as the reason for His wrath against Jerusalem. No matter how many good kings followed David, David was the reason God protected Jerusalem, and no matter how many bad kings followed Manasseh, Manasseh was the reason He overthrew Jerusalem. There is much good we enjoy and much evil we are promised because of those who went before us. The righteousness of a ruler might delay the wrath that's coming, but nothing can stop it. The Lord honors those who do what is right in His sight, but still, the favor they enjoy is as much because of His promise to Jesus as to their own devotion to the Lord. He rewards and honors the faithful believer, but the believer owes his salvation to Jesus and the promise God made to Him.

Application

The devotion and dedication of Hezekiah and Josiah were enough to grant their generation favor with the Lord, but it was because of His promise to David that the Lord held off destroying Judah and Jerusalem despite the sins of the kings and people between the rule of righteous kings. There is a favor and blessing I enjoy because of my own devotion to God, but there is a greater favor I enjoy because of the promise to Jesus. I have this opportunity to live for God because of God's promise to Jesus, so no matter how dedicated I am to live for God, I owe everything to Jesus and His obedience that won salvation for me.