Get it from the Book!

Moreover, Shaphan the scribe told the king saying, “Hilkiah the priest gave me a book.” And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king. (2 Chronicles 34:18 NASB)

King Josiah was a good king!  He began his reign as a child, and did not walk in the evil ways of his fathers.  His desire was to serve the Lord with a whole heart.  In carrying out this desire, he began a cleansing of the temple and an attempt to get it back in order.  While cleansing the temple, Josiah’s servants found “a book” which had been neglected.  This book was the book of the Law.  When Josiah heard from its contents, he tore his clothes in grief, saying, “great is the wrath of the Lord which is poured out on us because our fathers have not observed the word of the Lord, to do according to all that is written in this book” (2 Chronicles 34:21).

How far we have gotten from “the Book” in so many ways!  We are more concerned about the way we’ve always done it or the way we want to do it than the way the Book tells us to do it.  We believe that the Book is open to our individual interpretation.  We pick and choose the parts of the Book we want to trust and obey.  We claim the “priesthood of the believer” or the “autonomy of the church” to override the teaching of the Book.  Or—most frequently—we are ignorant of the contents of the Book and the clear teachings of the Book.

We like to say we are a people of the Book more than we like to be a people of the Book.  Take the Book today, read a chapter looking for God’s clear Word, and obey!

In His Grace;

Dr. Randy White

The God of Second Chances

Thus Manasseh misled Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the sons of Israel. (2 Chronicles 33:9 NASB)

Manasseh was an evil king.  He reigned 55 years in Jerusalem, and committed every kind of despicable act that a King of Judah could possibly commit.  He rebuilt the pagan altars his dad had broken down, he built new altars to the Baals, he even built pagan altars in the temple itself.  He delivered his sons to the pagan Canaanite gods in the valley of Ben-hinnom (which became synonymous with hell in the New Testament).  He practiced witchcraft and sorcery.  He contacted the dead in séances.  He desecrated the temple.  He was as bad as it gets.  So bad, in fact, that God had enough.  In punishment, God sent the Babylonians who captured Manasseh and bound him in chains and carried him off to Babylon in utter humiliation.

It was there that Manasseh got religious!  Manasseh began to beg God for the return of his dignity and his kingdom.  Fat chance, right??!!

God heard the prayer.  God answered.  Manasseh was returned.  Manasseh had a second chance.

And if that isn't grace, there is no such thing.

So if God can forgive, renew, and restore Manasseh...don't you think that you should show a little grace as well?