As another Lame Cherry exclusive in matter anti matter.
In the study of the evil leaders of the children of God, a most interesting reality of God appears.
Kind Hezekiah, was a good King. He followed God and became much too enamored in the reality that God answered his prayers. When the King was sick and he should have died, he instead prayed in desiring an heir, which God heeded and the result was King Manasseh.
Think of King Mannaseh in the Obama terms of sodomy, witchcraft and abortice child sacrifice to the state, as that is what Mannaseh was. If you need to be informed, those things like all things in America are an abomination to God. It is evil and those things bring about God's Judgment.
Manasseh, led a very long time, too long and he corrupted all of Israel building upon the evil influences of King Solomon in pleasing his foreign wives, and the manifestations of King Jeroboam of the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
In what would seem strange though, Manasseh was taken captive by hook to his face and led away to Babylon, where he repented, God had Mercy and God was quite pleased with it all, as God pronoucned His Judgment would not fall on Judah in the reign of Manasseh, but in another period.
Following all of this, Amnon, the evil son of Manasseh reigned, before the people assassinated him. They put into power then, his son, who at 8 years old was named Josiah.
King Josiah was a Good King. He sought the Lord from his youth, rebuilt the Temple, crushed, chopped down or burned down all the sodomite, child sacrafice and "groves". He went so far as burning the bones of the false priests on their own altars.
There was great peace and prosperity for this small Kingdom of Judah, up until the mid thirties of Josiah. at that time, Neco of Egypt went to war at Carchemish and Josiah went out to battle.
Neco actually is recorded as saying he was an instrument of God, and that Josiah had no business being involved in the war.
Josiah ignored the warning, went so far as to wear a disguise and was shot by the Egyptian archers, where he was carried back in his second chariot to Jerusalem and died.
All Judah mourned the death of this Good King. His death, put his son in power, who Neco promptly removed and installed his own choice, after looting the country.
The events then spiraled, as Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon started his military conquests and soon had Neco in chains.
The last few decades of Judah as Kingdom was one of vassal state, insurrections and eventually all being put into exile.
This study is about the Christian who by all accounts like Josiah, is completely obedient to God, but brought about disaster in becoming involved in something which attempted to thwart what God was bringing about.
"Get thee behind me satan", is the rebuke Jesus gave to Peter, and it is a point, that good people just because they are good and Christian, is not a carte blanche where they can not only make catastrophic mistakes, but bring about their ruin.
It is futile really to wonder if Josiah was under legal obligation to Babylon and would have a hook in his nose led around too, but the reality is Josiah did not recognize the Word of the Lord from Neco, and it brought about Josiah's death.
Yes everything has it's purpose and Judgment was coming, not under a Good King, but under wicked and weak kings. The moral of the story is though, that sitting in a pew on Sunday is not God speaking through you continually.
All of this is the reality which must be the rod and the curb which every Christian must examine themselves with astute process as Martin Luther called for in examining before Communion.
There is too much in Christianity in those who think their sins are not sins, and too many who beat themselves up non stop much to their hurt. Arrogance has no place in Christianity. Humilty is the place where Christianity lives.
Each person has to constantly test the spirits and the information coming in. In most cases, we are not Paul Revere needing to make an epic ride, but have like Josiah weeks to ponder if we are doing things the only Way God intends or if it is something satan is involved with.
It is a strange thing that Israel's greatest Kings in David, Hezekiah and Josiah, produced Solomon, Manasseh and the end of the peoples.
America has a like pattern of the truly great American Presidents, produced after them the worst and weakest bringing great harm to the country.
Being good does not make right. Being good only means you are right with God. God is the only One Who makes right and when good people go contrary to the Way God Wills, their great harm does indeed come upon them, and it is no fault of God in this, as people are outside God's will and suffer the consequences.
nuff said
agtG
