It Pays to Remember God May 28, 2006 by Dr. Dane Boyles

It Pays to Remember God 2 Kings is a book of great contrasts Contrast One: The story of God’s people, especially the story of the kings of Israel and Judah.

It Pays to Remember God 13 The LORD warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers: “Turn from your evil ways. Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your fathers to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets.” (2 Kings 17:13)

It Pays to Remember God 14 But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their fathers, who did not trust in the LORD their God. (2 Kings 17:14)

It Pays to Remember God Contrast Two: The many miracles and the ministry of the prophet Elisha. Elijah is taken to heaven in a chariot. The jars are filled with oil in the absence of physical and natural causation. The Shunammite woman’s son is brought back from the dead.

It Pays to Remember God Naaman is healed of leprosy. The axhead floats.

It Pays to Remember God The story of Israel and Judah also show us a greater reality. It is a reality that is overlooked by most people. That is, leaders often determine what reality is. Leaders are to put God at the center of their lives.

It Pays to Remember God This book teaches us that even though the majority of people factor God out, He is still among us.

It Pays to Remember God 2 Kings is also a book that shows that God holds people accountable. From the very beginning God has held people accountable. Adam and Eve (Gen 2:16-17) Men like Noah and Job Abraham, Isaac and Jacob

It Pays to Remember God The Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai Finally, God revealed himself through his Son Jesus

It Pays to Remember God God has always held men accountable through covenants. 2 Kings has no problem in pointing our evil! There is a stock phrase that is repeated again and again. did evil in the eyes of the LORD and did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to commit sin. (see 2 Kings 15:18)

It Pays to Remember God It sounds incredible, but all this had happened within 80 years after Solomon had built the temple in Jerusalem. But how many of us can relate to the 1920’s? The invention of the radio The first transatlantic flight The first movie The invention of the Model-T Fords The crash of the stock market

It Pays to Remember God That’s just 80 years ago! We have to relate to our children our spiritual history. The history of the Bible, the church, our faith experience. If we don’t, it will be lost forever!

It Pays to Remember God 2 Kings also teaches us that many times people don’t realize that God is holding them accountable, even though judgment has come upon them. That’s why God told Israel over and over again that their well being depended upon their relationship to the covenant.

It Pays to Remember God If they obeyed God’s commandments, He would bless them. If they rejected God and his commandments, He would curse them. That’s why the 10 northern tribes were deported to Assyria.

It Pays to Remember God 2 Kings 22-23 teach us that God and our response to Him determine our present and our future. The situation had gotten so bad that God’s Word wasn’t even missed. Just imagine, not just not reading it, but not even knowing it’s missing.

It Pays to Remember God That’s the situation in Chapter 22. 11 When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes. (2 Kings 22:11)

It Pays to Remember God 12 He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king's attendant: (2 Kings 22:12)

It Pays to Remember God 13 “Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the LORD’s anger that burns against us because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.” (2 Kings 22:13)

It Pays to Remember God 8 Josiah brought all the priests from the towns of Judah and desecrated the high places, from Geba to Beersheba, where the priests had burned incense. He broke down the shrines at the gates—at the entrance to the Gate of Joshua, the city governor, which is on the left of the city gate. (2 Kings 23:8)

It Pays to Remember God 10 He desecrated Topheth, which was in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, so no one could use it to sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire to Molech. (2 Kings 23:10)

It Pays to Remember God 11 He removed from the entrance to the temple of the LORD the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun. They were in the court near the room of an official named Nathan-Melech. Josiah then burned the chariots dedicated to the sun. (2 Kings 23:10 - 11)

It Pays to Remember God 12 He pulled down the altars the kings of Judah had erected on the roof near the upper room of Ahaz, and the altars Manasseh had built in the two courts of the temple of the LORD. He removed them from there, smashed them to pieces and threw the rubble into the Kidron Valley. (2 Kings 23:12)

It Pays to Remember God 13 The king also desecrated the high places that were east of Jerusalem on the south of the Hill of Corruption—the ones Solomon king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the vile goddess of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the vile god of Moab, and for Molech the detestable god of the people of Ammon. (2 Kings 23:13)

It Pays to Remember God 14 Josiah smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles and covered the sites with human bones. (2 Kings 23:14)

It Pays to Remember God What was Josiah accomplishing by destroying everything that had to do with other gods? he was removing all temptation he was fully obeying the covenant he was avoiding any compromise

It Pays to Remember God Josiah teaches us that outward reform begins with inward renewal. A leader must experience personal change before he can implement public change. Only because of Josiah’s inward change, was he able to restore true worship.

It Pays to Remember God Conclusion How does that book’s effect compare with the Bible’s effect on your life? How many times have you vowed to rediscover the Scriptures every morning?

It Pays to Remember God May 28, 2006 by Dr. Dane Boyles