2 Kings 19-21

April 27

2 Kings 19-21

While Israel fell to the Assyrians, Judah turned to God. Hezekiah became king and did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. Hezekiah helped turn the hearts of the people of Judah back to God. He faced death, but prayed and God heard him and extended his life. The Assyrians ridiculed him for trusting God to deliver Judah when they had conquered so many other nations. Hezekiah was the right man at the right time to lead Judah.

Early in his reign, Hezekiah broke the bronze snake Moses had made. In Numbers 21, God sent poisonous snakes into the camp because the Israelites had rebelled against Him. People were dying from the snakebites so they asked Moses to intercede for them. God told Moses to make a bronze snake and put it on a pole and those who looked to the snake when they were bitten would not die. The bronze snake was something good. It was made at God’s instructions, but instead of being a tool, the Israelites began to worship the bronze snake.

Hezekiah took this snake that the people had made sacred and destroyed it. It was something that began good, but became a stumbling block. People today fall into the same hazard. A song, a piece of church furniture, a style of music or worship becomes the focus of worship instead of a tool to assist in worship. Good snakes go bad when we focus on the object instead of focusing on God to whom the object points.

Periodically we need to do self examinations. We need to look at our personal lives and at our churches. We need to get rid of our idols and get back to worshiping God who created the heavens and the earth.