2 Chronicles 24: 20
Then
the spirit of God took possession of Zechariah son of the priest Jehoiada; he
stood above the people and said to them, ‘Thus says God: Why do you transgress
the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have
forsaken the Lord, he has also forsaken you.’
----Marion's pick
Chapter
24 chronicles the reign of King Joash (836-798 BCE). Joash was a good king. He
focused on doing what was right in the sight of the Lord and took on the
restoration of the Temple. Everything changed when the priest Jehoiada died.
·
Has
your life, or that of someone you know, completely changed because of a death?
·
Have
you witnessed people ‘becoming like someone else?’ What event caused the
change?
After
the death of Jehoiada, King Joash takes council from his officers who are not
so concerned with doing what is right in the sight of the Lord.
Today’s
pointed text has the prophet Zechariah (the son of priest Jehoiada) confront
King Joash with a message from God. The
prophet warned that because Joash had failed to live the commandments, the
covenant with God, that God had forsaken him.
·
Did
God forsake Joash? Or is the idea ‘God has also forsaken you’ more about
Joash? In a sense Joash would be forsaken because Joash closed his heart and
refused to acknowledge God. Is God still there? Waiting for Joash to say,
‘God…?’
·
Have
you ever turned away from God? Have you ever felt forsaken by God?
This
pointed text remembers and tells of the work of a prophet. Unfortunately in the
next verse, Zechariah is assassinated (by stoning). The officials, not liking
Zechariah’s prophetic words, conspired against him and King Joash gave the
order to have him killed.
·
Who
are prophets in our time that have been persecuted or assassinated for speaking
truth to power?
·
Have
you been a prophet? Can you see yourself being a prophet?
·
Have
you stood with a prophet? Or responded with action to the words of a prophet?
King
Joash ends his reign with a disastrous foreign invasion and dies by a
successful conspiracy to assassinate him.
·
What
does it mean to live the commandments?
·
Do
you know when you have gone astray from faithful living?
·
How
do you stay in relationship with God?
At
the beginning of the week, I will post a devotion on a pointed text from
scripture. I will include commentary and questions for reflection. Answers and
other questions and comments can be sent to me at halifaxlutherchurch@gmail.com ,put in the comment section of this
blog, or on FB where the link to this devotion was shared. Fridays I will share
the messages (conversation) received via the church email list.
Here we are brought face to face with the task of a prophet. His duty is to deliver Gold's message regardless of consequences. The message totally Gold's with nothing added or taken away. It is not the prophet's duty or right to coerce or bully people into compliance. He is just to deliver the unadulterated message leaving it like that. God uses ordinary people as His prophets. He provides the words and the prophet lets them out to be heard. His task is completed.
ReplyDeleteSome of the pointed texts have been unsettling for some and not necessarily worth reading. I wonder if violence expressed in the Bible is any different from expressions of violence people interact with today - in movies, video games, on TV. What is it with humans and their relationship to violence? One benefit of reading short pieces of text in a devotional/Bible study setting is the added component of reflection and conversation. The texts aren't written to make us feel good, but to wrestle with the human relationship to violence or other items we find distasteful.
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