Hello my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
Sometimes I am amazed at the unplanned alignment of special global events with our journey through the pages of the Bible. Today is another of those situations which, quite frankly, has left me astounded as I consider the historical significance of this date in both American history and the history of our world. Regardless of your age, your nationality, where you are today in the world or even your political affiliation, this date has been significant for every person in the world for nearly 250 years!!
Yes, the Declaration of Independence for the British Colonies in North America was completed on July 3 and signed on July 4, 1776; and that act established the birth of the United States, the nation that has arguably had more positive influence and impact on the world than any other nation in history. I make that bold statement by asking you to consider these some of my personal reflections on America:
* No nation has sent more financial assistance to the needy places and people of the world than the USA.
* No nation has sent their military to more places of the world, in response to the desperate cry for help from those nations, in defending themselves from vicious attack of terrorists, invaders, and would-be conquerors. No nation has suffered more military casualties helping other countries defend themselves, than America . . .
* No nation has sent more Gospel missionaries or exported more Biblical information and training to all corners of the world, than America.
* No nation has received more immigrants, both legal and illegal, from all around the world, especially those seeking asylum, than America.
* No nation has received more students seeking higher education, and therefore trained more global leaders in all vocations than America.
While many other nations can boast a much, much longer history, America has for decades been expected to lead, protect and serve most of the world’s population in a wide range of ways. Would you agree? It’s really quite amazing, isn’t it? Many people believe the ONLY way America has been able to BE what our world has so desperately needed, is the work of Almighty God in and through many people in America who seek to live God honoring lives at any cost and who faithfully pray for America and its leaders.
So, in view of the significance of today and tomorrow in American history, join me again as we travel back to Jerusalem, Israel in about the year 800bc. Yesterday we looked closely at the demise, the moral and leadership derailment of King Joash of the southern kingdom Judah, as Joash and his advisors and officials totally turned their back on God and the great recent history of God’s blessing of Judah.
They had been warned by Zechariah the prophet and son of Jehoiada, the chief priest who had been mentor to Joash. In their rejection of God’s warning from Zechariah, they killed Zechariah in the Temple courtyard, as we saw yesterday!
2 Kings 12:17 gives us the shocking account of what happened next in the shadow of this derailment of King Joash’s leadership: “About this time Hazael, king of Aram (Syria) attacked Gath and captured it. Then he turned to attack Jerusalem.” Now pause for a few seconds. Does the city of “Gath” ring a bell of familiarity? That is the hometown of the giant Goliath the Philistine whom young David had slain with his slingshot and one stone, guided by God into Goliath’s forehead. Remember? (1 Samuel 17)
Gath, you may recall, was one of the five great stronghold cities of the Philistines who were continually a vicious threat to the immediate west of southern Israel. Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron and Gaza are the other four of those five cities, and much of that region is the Gaza strip of today!
It would have been a very long march for the king of Syria to travel from Damascus to Gath, but it sure proved a powerful point! At that time in history neither Israel to the north nor Judah to the south could defend themselves against the power of Syria who was in a mood for significant territorial expansion, thus their march toward Jerusalem.
One of the lessons we’ve learned in our historical journey through the Kings & Chronicles is that God is VERY much involved in the very volatile military tensions of Israel and her surrounding enemies. When the leaders of Israel were God honoring, then often God protected Israel from invasion, we saw that graphically with King Jehoshaphat, great grandfather of King Joash, in 2 Chronicles 20.
On the other hand, when the leaders of Israel turned away from God, often God removed His hand of protection and foreign invaders ravaged towns and cities in Israel. That is exactly what was happening as the four decade kingship of Joash was nearing its conclusion. Joash and his officials had turned away from God and refused to hear God’s warnings. God’s protection was being removed and with Gath fallen to the Syrians, we can imagine the panic in Jerusalem.
But rather than doing as his ancestors had done and what Jehoiada had taught him, King Joash did NOT seek God, rather he ransacked both the treasury and the Temple of God, taking anything of value and sending it to Damascus, pleading for a peace treaty. (2 Kings 12:18)
While the Syrian King called for his troops to return to Damascus, that call had not come before Syrian warriors decimated much of the army of Judah and helped themselves to whatever of value they found in Jerusalem. (2 Chronicles 24:24) Why did this happen, we ask? The Biblical record provides this answer. Listen carefully my friends, for God is calling leaders of nations around the world today to learn:
“Although the Syrian army had come with only a few men, the LORD delivered into their hands the much larger army of Judah. Because Judah had forsaken the LORD, the God of their ancestors, judgement was executed by God on King Joash. When the Syrians withdrew, they left Joash severely wounded. His officials conspired against Joash for murdering the son of Jehoiada the priest, and they killed King Joash in his bed! So he died and was buried in the City of David, but NOT in the tombs of the kings.” (2 Chronicles 24:24,25)
Now you might want to pause and re-read that again, maybe two or three times. When the judgment of God falls on wicked, rebellious leadership it is often catastrophic!
At this historic moment for America and our world, July 3 & 4, the anniversary of courageous men writing and signing a Declaration of Independence; we must remember that many of those courageous men insisted key references to Almighty God be included in that and other founding American documents… it is important we look closely and ask important questions about the moral trajectory of America in recent years.
It seems to me there have been many people in positions of great authority in America doing exactly what King Joash and his advisors did. Rejecting God’s role in the governance of the nation and turning America away from God and its God honoring heritage. It appears to be a determined, impassioned run AWAY from God and the moral and spiritual intentionality of those founding documents!
I call us to reflection and prayer my “Walking with Jesus” friends, no matter where you live in the world. We’re walking through the Kings and Chronicles in the Bible these days, inviting God to teach us so we do NOT experience the same destructive judgment of God. So what do you sense God is saying to you today? Many in these days will be waving flags and calling for God’s blessing.
I’m calling us to honest, prayerful reflection. Do we have the courage to invite God to show us how we are arousing His anger as Joash did? Will you join me in inviting God to convict us and guide us to repentance and His right path forward for us? We do so surrounded by children and grandchildren looking to us adults for answers as they, with great anxiety, look to their future.
It’s time to pray, my friends . . . Oh God, I’m asking You, would You speak to us? Help us to understand what YOU see as You look at America and our world today? I pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Today’s Scripture: 2 Kings 12:17,18; 2 Chron. 24:23-25.
Choose below to read or listen.
2 Kings 12:17,18
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2 Chron. 24:23-25
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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