“For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasonings, and their senseless hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible mankind, of birds, four-footed animals, and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them up to vile impurity in the lusts of their hearts, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for falsehood, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” (Romans 1:21-25, NASB)
God created us to worship Him. We are worshipping creatures. It is not a matter of IF we will worship, but WHO or WHAT we will worship. We worship what is of ultimate importance to us.
There are basically two types of worship that have existed from Genesis onward. They are illustrated in the lives of Cain and Abel, the sons of Adam and Eve. We are told that Eve named her firstborn son, Cain, because it means “acquire or gain” and it seems that she may have thought that he would be the one through whom the promise of Genesis 3:15 (the protoevangelium or first gospel) would be fulfilled. If that is true, she is in for a colossal disappointment. We are introduced to Cain and Abel by their occupations. Cain is a worker of the ground, taking after his father, Adam. Abel is a shepherd.
At a certain time (“in the course of time”—ESV) they offered sacrifices to the LORD. Cain offered from the fruit of the ground. Abel offered of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. We are told that the LORD had regard for Abel’s sacrifice but rejected Cain’s offering. Now we should not read into this from later Scriptures to judge why Cain’s offering was rejected and Abel’s accepted. We are not told that God rejected Cain’s sacrifice because it was not an animal, but only vegetables. Grain offerings were accepted by God from the Israelites. We have inferences as to why Abel would have offered an animal. God had slain animals to provide a covering for the sin and shame of Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve had covered themselves with fig leaves, which had proven to be inadequate to cover their shame.
However, we do note that Cain had offered from his produce, while Abel had given of the best of his flock. So, we find that Cain was jealous of his brother and angry with God about the situation. We should note that in the conversation between God and Cain, we find that Cain knew what God wanted and what would please God.
“Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why is your face gloomy? “If you do well, will your face not be cheerful? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”” (Genesis 4:6-7, NASB)
Cain knew what would have been “well” to do. He just wanted God to accept what he wanted to give God, rather than offering what would please God. Cain was also warned that, if he continued to refuse to do well, sin was waiting to capture him, but he would need to control it. Later, when he was talking with his brother in the field, Cain slew Abel. His jealousy and anger took control and he took out his anger on his brother.
John Wesley makes the following comment on this verse (4:8):
And Cain talked with Abel his brother – The Chaldee paraphrast adds, that Cain, when they were in discourse, maintained there was no judgment to come, and that when Abel spoke in defence of the truth, Cain took that occasion to fall upon him. The scripture tells us the reason wherefore he slew him, because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous; so that herein he shewed himself to be a child of the devil, as being an enemy to all righteousness. Observe, the first that dies is a saint, the first that went to the grave, went to heaven. God would secure to himself the first fruits, the first born to the dead, that first opened the womb into another world.
Cain worship reveals itself in comments like these:
I don’t like the preacher; I think we ought to find a new one
I don’t like the music; I think we need a praise band or worship team
I think that the service is too long
I don’t get anything out of the service
I think I need to feel something when I worship
I think God is more pleased when we sing hymns from the hymnal
I don’t think people should come to church in casual dress
And so on…
Please be aware that the basic problem with these statements is the “I.” True worship only asks this: What does God desire? What would please Him? I only want to offer that kind of worship to God.
We are told why God accepted Abel’s offering and not Cain’s.
“By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he was attested to be righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.” (Hebrews 11:4, NASB)
“For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we are to love one another; not as Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And for what reason did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil, but his brother’s were righteous.” (1 John 3:11-12, NASB)
So, the first murder was about worship, of all things, and involved faith vs unbelief. It also embraced the attitude that, if my gift is not acceptable, I will just murder the one who offers the acceptable gift. That will solve the problem. Removing Abel from the equation did not remove Cain’s problem; it only compounded it by bringing judgment upon himself.
“In a few of his books, Tozer writes about “Cain Worship” versus “Abel Worship.” Cain’s worship was to offer to God that which pleased Cain. In contrast to Cain, Abel’s worship was to offer to God in obedience that which God desired of him…. Many of today’s churches tend to focus on Cain Worship rather than on Abel Worship, and yet both believe they are doing what pleases God. Of course, God alone is the judge: it is He who knows the heart and intent of each worshipper.”
A. W. Tozer, Authentic Worship, p. 9
In Romans 8, the apostle contrasts the two ways using the terms “flesh and Spirit” to describe man’s way and worship vs God’s way and worship.
“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:5-8, NKJV)
Living according to the flesh is to live and worship my way rather than God’s way. It is impossible to please God without living in the Spirit. God will help us offer acceptable worship, but only on His terms.
God’s reprimand of Cain is a warning to any who would worship with a heart void of reverence and sacrificial gratitude.
— The Epic of God: A Guide to Genesis, Michael Whitworth
1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.
2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.
3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.
4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.
John Piper stated, “Missions exists because worship doesn’t.”
“Jesus *said to her, “Believe Me, woman, that a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. “You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews. “But a time is coming, and even now has arrived, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”” (John 4:21-24, NASB)
What is the most important thing for the Church to focus on? Evangelism? Discipleship? Education of youth? Having a youth program? Something else?
The following voices remind us that worship should be at the top of our list:
As important as we regard God’s work in salvation, we reject what might be called “redempto-centrism,” the idea that the most important thing in Scripture is God’s work in man’s salvation.
God’s glorious work in the redemption of fallen humanity is not an end in itself; it is part of the larger picture of God’s work in eternity, which centers in the display of His transcendent glory.
Allen, R. B. (2001). The wonder of worship: a new understanding of the worship experience (p. 21). Word Pub.
In the very first chapter of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he describes what it means to be “blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm in Christ.” In one long sentence in the Greek beginning in verse 3 and extending through verse 14, he describes God’s great provision of salvation for us. According to the apostle, God has done these things:
To the praise of the glory of His grace (Eph. 1:6)
To the praise of His glory (Eph. 1:12)
To the praise of His glory (Eph. 1:14)
Salvation is not an end in itself. The praise of God is the highest good. God’s work in the lives of His people, according to Paul, is centered in the context of the praise of His glory. In other words, God’s worship is the divine goal of His redemptive work.
Allen, R. B. (2001). The wonder of worship: a new understanding of the worship experience (p. 21). Word Pub.
Worship is the most important ministry of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Her worship to Him must come before her ministry for Him. Worship helps us individually and corporately to keep God first in our priorities. It helps us focus on Him and remember that it’s all about Him—not about us. Worship helps us to stay centered in a world that is constantly out of focus with what is important.
Edwards, D. M. (2011). Worship 365: the power of a worshipping life. B&H Books.
And I don’t’ hesitate to say that the Almighty God would rather that His name be hallowed before all the myriads, all created intelligence, than sinners should be saved or that a world should be redeemed. It’s in the mercy and wisdom of God that He so arranged things that He can redeem the world and magnify His glory.
Our first duty and obligation is to honor God, not to help people. Helping others is something every Christian should endeavor to do, but this cannot be our first duty and obligation. Shoving aside God as our primary focus and purpose is a form of Modernism. “Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar” (Romans 3:4).
Dwell for a minute on what the Bible says about the glorious and fearful name of Yahweh: “Will not His excellence make you afraid, and the dread of Him fall upon you?” (Job 13:11). With God comes a terrible Majesty: “He made darkness His secret place; His canopy around Him was dark waters and thick clouds of the skies” (Psalm 18:11). And “Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle (Psalm 24:8). Honor and majesty, strength and beauty—throughout the Bible we see God coming out from behind the cloud, or He’s bringing us out from behind the cloud to show us how great and glorious He is, reminding us that the glory of the Lord will endure forever.
A. W. Tozer, Authentic Worship, p. 70
We worship when we evangelize, disciple Christians, reach and teach the youth, and when we live our lives in tune with God and His will for our lives. It must be our highest priority! It informs and affects everything else we do.
“Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!” (Psalms 107:8, 15, 21, 31 KJV)
I quote the above Psalm because praise flows from a heart of gratitude for God’s goodness and all His wonderful works. If we are thankful, then it will show in how we live our lives, in our speech, our attitude, our actions. A heart of gratitude will express itself in worship.
There may be no greater sin than this sin of ingratitude. Shakespeare said, “How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless child.” If you have loved and labored and invested much in the health and lives of your children, you know how grieved you are when your children do not seem to appreciate or to be thankful for the sacrifices you have made. Mothers who have labored to bring these precious children into this world and dads who have labored to provide for them know the sacrifice that is demanded by responsible parenting.
So, I think Shakespeare was right. The poet Milton, the blind poet, said that a person with an ungrateful spirit only has one vice, because all of the rest of his vices are virtues compared to ingratitude. Every other sin is a virtue compared to the sin of ingratitude.
At the time when Malachi preached, the Temple had been rebuilt, but it paled in comparison to Solomon’s Temple. The priests and the Levites were the power-brokers of Judah, yet Temple worship was in a sorry state. The apathetic priests actually led people into sin, not out of it. Worshipers offered inferior animals as sacrifices and neglected God’s requirements for tithes and offerings. The hopes raised by Haggai and Zechariah for a revival of David’s dynasty through Zerubbabel seemed to have disappeared.
Malachi confronted a people given to religious cynicism, political skepticism, and spiritual disillusionment. They expected prosperity (Hag 2:7, 18–19), a king from David’s line (Ezek 34:13, 23–24), and the new covenant promised through Jeremiah (Jer 31:23, 31–34), but they saw none of these things. In the minds of many, God had failed his people.
New Living Translation Study Bible. Carol Stream, IL : Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2008, Malachi
Disillusionment often breeds ingratitude. We feel that what we need, what we deserve, what we should expect, has evaporated and we are left with a bitter spirit and an ungrateful attitude. We become careless and indifferent because we think that nothing really matters. No matter how hard we try, nothing changes. Just like Cain, we feel that God should be satisfied with whatever we choose to offer Him, rather than giving Him our best. This attitude of defeatism becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. We get stuck going through the motions of life. We even find ourselves going through the motions of religious activities and service.
Malachi, a prophet in the days of Nehemiah, directs his message of judgment to a people plagued with corrupt priests, wicked practices, and a false sense of security in their privileged relationship with God. Using the question and answer method, Malachi probes deeply into their problems of hypocrisy, infidelity, mixed marriages, divorce, false worship, and arrogance. So sinful has the nation become that God’s words to the people no longer have any impact.
Open Bible, Introduction to Malachi, Thomas Nelson Publishers
The opening verse calls his message a “burden,” The idea of a heavy load that must be born lies behind this word. Malachi recognized the heavy responsibility of confronting the sad situation of a people who no longer worshipped God as they were supposed to, but were carelessly neglecting worship or were engaging in shallow, hypocritical and even inappropriate worship. God has brought them back into the land from the exile and they have decided that slackness and indifference is permissible, given the current conditions. They aren’t thankful or grateful for what God has done for them. They only focus on their present circumstances.
Have we become unthankful worshippers? True praise rises from gratitude!
“Then God spoke all these words, saying, “I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before Me. “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” (Exodus 20:1-6, LSB)
Worship is the continuous outpouring of all that I am, all that I do, and all that I can ever become in light of a chosen or choosing god.
— Harold Best
The inner essence of worship is to know God truly and then respond from the heart to that knowledge by valuing God, treasuring God, prizing God, enjoying God, being satisfied with God above all earthly things.
And then that deep, restful, joyful satisfaction in God overflows in demonstrable acts of praise from the lips and demonstrable acts of love in serving others for the sake of Christ.
— John Piper, Definition of Worship
True worship is to feel in the heart and to express a humbling but delightful sense of admiration and astonished wonder and overwhelming love in the presence of that most ancient of mysteries, that unspeakable Majesty, which has been called by some the mysterium tremendum, and which the prophets called “the Lord our God.”
— A. W. Tozer, Authentic Worship, p. 21
True worship is not confined to what we do in church or open praise (although these things are both good, and we are told in the Bible to do them). True worship is the acknowledgment of God and all His power and glory in everything we do. The highest form of praise and worship is obedience to Him and His Word. To do this, we must know God; we cannot be ignorant of Him (Acts 17:23). Worship is to glorify and exalt God—to show our loyalty and admiration to our Father. — Got Questions, What is Worship
True worship is God-centered worship. People tend to get caught up in where they should worship, what music they should sing in worship, and how their worship looks to other people. Focusing on these things misses the point. Jesus tells us that true worshipers will worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). This means we worship from the heart and the way God has designed. Worship can include praying, reading God’s Word with an open heart, singing, participating in communion, and serving others. It is not limited to one act, but is done properly when the heart and attitude of the person are in the right place. — Got Questions, What is Worship
A Summary
Worship involves everything I say, do and think.
Worship involves the heart — we must love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5; 10:12; 11:13; 13:3; 30:6; Joshua 22:5; Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:33; Luke 10:27).
Worship involves truth — we must not worship that which is false or unreal — Exodus 20:1-6
Worship involves expression — we cannot hide or withhold our expressions of praise and adoration for all that God IS and all that He DOES.
Worship is NOT about ME — It is directed toward God and is done to bring Him glory. The best worship happens when I lose self-consciousness and get caught up in the contemplation of the Divine Majesty.
Worship is intensely personal and relational — We are in communion with our God and we sense His presence in our midst.
Worship is diverse — It is both individual and corporate, private and public, silent and vocal. It may or may not include instruments, is not limited to a particular place, does not require a certain style of music, and may or may not involve the raising of hands, clapping, or other postures. It may include all types of service to others.
“Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.” (Psalms 150:6, KJV)
I am presently attending a conference we call Pastor’s School. This is an annual opportunity for pastors in my denomination to gather for instruction, encouragement, and worship. This year the focus is on worship. I am thankful for a group of pastors, laymen and wives who love to worship. It has been such an encouragement to me. I have been thinking about worship for a while now, since I was involved in helping to plan the agenda. I want to share some thoughts on worship that will extend through several posts.
WARNING: Necessary background information ahead…
The background behind the Old Testament books of Haggai and Zechariah help us better understand their message. Both of these prophets were sent to the people who had returned from the Babylonian captivity to challenge the people to get back to the work of rebuilding God’s Temple.
In 520 BC Haggai and Zechariah were commissioned to challenge those who have returned from the captivity in Babylon to take up the Temple project again. Begun in 536 BC and abandoned in 534 BC because of their enemies and the challenges of re-establishing themselves in the land, the rebuilding of the Temple had been forsaken.
When Cyrus, the Persian king, gave order that would allow the captives in Babylon to return to Jerusalem, Zerubabbel led some 42,360 people back to their homeland. When they returned, they began laying the foundation of the Temple and planned to finish it. They began the work in 536 BC and halted the building project in 534 BC.
The main reason they stopped working on the Temple was that when they returned, the Samaritans opposed them. They also faced other hardships: a depressed economy, crop failure, difficult living conditions, and the desolation of the land. As time passed it became harder to focus on the rebuilding of the Temple and easier to just try to get through life.
So, for over 14 years they neglected the house of the LORD. They focused on their lives, their economic prosperity, and their future. However, they have not been seeking the LORD and the purpose for which He had brought them back to the land. They were to honor Him by rebuilding the Temple, restoring the priesthood, and re-instituting the sacrificial system in the place where He had chosen to put His Name.
For 84 years, they have been without a Temple, without a functioning priesthood, without a sacrificial system, and they are languishing physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Their worship is inadequate. Some scholars speculate that the synagogue was instituted during the time of the captivity. However, the earliest synagogue discovered appeared in the Hellenistic period around 180-150 BC. I am sure that they found ways to maintain their religion and identity during these times of hardship. But now that they are back in the land, God wants them to rebuild His Temple and reinstitute His system of worship.
In the Introduction to Haggai in the Open Bible we find this description: Finding it easier to stop building than to fight their neighbors, the work on the temple ceased in 534 B.C. The pessimism of the people led to spiritual lethargy, and they became preoccupied with their own building projects. They used political opposition and a theory that the temple was not to be rebuilt until some later time (perhaps after Jerusalem was rebuilt) as excuses for neglecting the house of the Lord.
So in 520 BC, this is how Haggai chastened the people:
“Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying, “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?” Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: “Consider your ways! “You have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; You drink, but you are not filled with drink; You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.” Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Consider your ways!” (Haggai 1:3-7, NKJV)
God is challenging us now to get busy building His Temple, the Church.
“Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:4-5, NKJV)
In what ways have we been complacent, allowing the cares of this world to cause us to be distracted and unfruitful? Are we so absorbed with getting through life that we fail to “seek the kingdom of God first”?
We need to “consider our ways” and get our focus back on what is really important, what really matters, and what God desires. He wants us to be worshippers and to be proclaiming the gospel that produces worshippers. We need to repent of neglecting the work of God and embrace with zeal the challenge to rise up, worship, and serve Him in spirit and in truth.
Today is the National Day of Prayer in the United States and the above title is the theme.
2 Chronicles 34:8-21
When Josiah was 26, he began his temple restoration project where he endeavored “to repair the house of the LORD his God” (verse 8). Money was collected and used “to restore and repair the house” (verse 10). Materials were purchased “to buy quarried stone and timber for couplings and to make beams for the houses which the kings of Judah had let go to ruin. They worked faithfully and diligently on this project.
As the work was being completed, “Hilkiah the priest found the book of the law of the LORD given by Moses” (verse 14). It was an amazing discovery and gives insight into how disfunctional the religious life and practices of Judah had become. They had lost the book of the law which every Israelite king was supposed to not only read but to write out a copy for himself.
““Now it shall come about, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this Law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. “And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, so that he will learn to fear the LORD his God, by carefully following all the words of this Law and these statutes, so that his heart will not be haughty toward his countrymen, and that he will not turn away from the commandment to the right or the left, so that he and his sons may live long in his kingdom in the midst of Israel.” (Deuteronomy 17:18-20, NASB)
Hilkiah presented the scroll to Shaphan who carried it to King Josiah. Shaphan “read from it in the presence of the king” (verse 18). The effect was that “when the king “heard the words of the law that he tore his clothes” (verse 19). Further, the king ordered that they go and inquire of the LORD what should be done because he realized that “great is the wrath of the LORD which is poured out on us because our fathers have not observed the word of the LORD” (verse 21).
When will we learn that what is happening right now in our nation is going to bring far-reaching and long-lasting consequences upon not only ourselves, but our children and grandchildren. The moral and spiritual demise of our culture is bringing spiritual, emotional, mental and physical consequences. The search for meaning and contentment in drugs, financial security, notiarity, fame, or some other temporary source is leading to devastating results. A reversal of longevity, skyrocketing suicide rates, destructive medical procedures on human bodies, high levels of loneliness, disconnected relationships, and dysfunctional families are some of the results.
This is happening in the midst of a nation where the homes of many are filled with copies of the Bible, where just about everyone has access to a copy of the Bible, and where the Bible remains one of the best-selling books of all-time. The problem is not the same as in Josiah’s day. They had lost access to the Word while we have lost the desire to access the Word.
“Now the boy Samuel was attending to the service of the LORD before Eli. And word from the LORD was rare in those days; visions were infrequent.” (1 Samuel 3:1, NASB)
Josiah’s situation was similar to Samuel’s. The book of Judges records what a society looks like without the mooring of the Word of God. “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6; 21:25). We certainly don’t know what that would look like, do we? (Wink, wink) But our situation may more resemble that of Amos’ day.
““Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD, “When I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, But rather for hearing the words of the LORD. “People will stagger from sea to sea And from the north even to the east; They will roam about to seek the word of the LORD, But they will not find it.” (Amos 8:11-12, NASB)
We are in the midst of a famine for the Word of God, not because of a lack of access, but because of a lack of desire. This is, at least, my considered observation. We must get back to finding, reading, and obeying the Word of God. If we don’t, the consequences will result in horrific results, much like what we see in the book of Judges.
Josiah was only eight years old when he was made king of Judah. The Chronicler notes that he did right in the sight of the LORD, walking in His ways like David. He did, however, partly fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah about what would happen as a part of the judgment upon Judah.
“And I will make mere boys their leaders, And mischievous children will rule over them,” (Isaiah 3:4, NASB)
When Josiah was 16, he began to seek the LORD. When he was 20, he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the vestiges of idolatry. He tore down the altars of the Baals and destroyed the instruments of idol worship. He did something else that is unique. He ground the molten images into powder and spread it on the graves of those who sacrificed to them. He also burned the bones of the priests on their altars, and purged Judah and Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 34:5). This is most fascinating because this had been prophesied 300 years earlier by a man of God to Jeroboam and the name of the person who would do this was given, “Josiah.”
“Now behold, a man of God came from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD, while Jeroboam was standing at the altar to burn incense. And he cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD and said, “Altar, altar, this is what the LORD says: ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and human bones shall burn on you.’”” (1 Kings 13:1-2, NASB)
This is not the only prophecy of this kind. Isaiah names the Persian king, Cyrus, as an instrument God would use to give the captives the opportunity to return to Jerusalem a century before he shows up on the scene. Some might think that Josiah did these things because he had read about himself in the Kings. However, we will find later that the book of the Law had not been discovered nor read by Josiah at this point. There is no evidence that he even knew of the existence of this prophecy. The Chronicler doesn’t even note that these actions were the fulfillment of this prophecy. We have to go hunting to find this out.
This is what makes the Word of God so unique. Other religious writings have wisdom sayings, moral codes, poetry and narratives. Prophecy of this kind is unique to the Bible, because our God is the God who knows the future as well as the past.
“The LORD of armies has sworn, saying, “Certainly, just as I have intended, so it has happened, and just as I have planned, so it will stand, to break Assyria in My land, and I will trample him on My mountains. Then his yoke will be removed from them, and his burden removed from their shoulders. “This is the plan devised against the entire earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out against all the nations. “For the LORD of armies has planned, and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back?”” (Isaiah 14:24-27, NASB, emphasis mine)
““Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My plan will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’; Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man of My purpose from a distant country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, I will certainly do it.” (Isaiah 46:9-11, NASB, emphasis mine)
What an amazing example of the foreknowledge of God, who gives His servant a word about something that will happen in the distant future and it comes to pass exactly as predicted. This assures us that the promises of God will certainly be fulfilled and His Word will surely come to pass.
Have you ever known someone you thought was beyond redemption. You were sure they would not turn away from their wickedness and evil. They were confirmed in pursuing their destructive ways, unwilling and seemingly unable to change. Those of us who work with people to encourage change have, on many occasions, been disappointed in seeing our hours of encouragement, instruction, and emotional support come to no avail.
When I was a young person in church, I learned about Manasseh. What I was taught was that he was one of the worst kings of Judah. And this is true from a certain point of view. But there is more to the story that I found later while reading about Manasseh. It is an intriguing tale of humiliation and redemption that offers hope to others who may have followed the example of his early years.
God sought to get through to Manasseh, as He does with all of us.
So the LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. (2 Chronicles 33:10)
But God is persistent and has His ways to get the message across.
Therefore the LORD brought the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria against them, and they captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze chains and took him to Babylon. (2 Chronicles 33:11)
They say that one has to reach bottom to look up. If this wasn’t the bottom for Manasseh, we can’t be certain where the bottom would be. It was enough to get the attention of this humiliated king, and he turned his heart toward God.
When he was in distress, he entreated the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. (2 Chronicles 33:12)
Humbling ourselves before God, praying, seeking His face and turning from our wicked ways is the way back to restoration. Humility is the first requirement. When he humbled himself before God, in His mercy and grace, He was willing to forgive and restore Manasseh.
When he prayed to Him, He was moved by his entreaty and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God. (2 Chronicles 33:13)
From what we read in the text, it seems Manasseh spent the remainder of his years seeking to reverse the damage he had caused. However, according to 2 Chronicles 33:17, the people still used the high places, but only to worship the LORD.
So, we learn that one of the most wicked kings of Judah found redemption in the LORD his God. If there was hope for Manasseh, surely there is hope for the vilest sinner today. Saul, the persecutor of Christians and destroyer of the Church, became Paul, the Apostle of Christ and planter of churches. God changes lives. This is the only hope for broken lives.
In Romans 1, the Apostle Paul gives an extensive list of what happens when a culture turns from God and adopts wickedness as a lifestyle. This is how he describes it:
“And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a depraved mind, to do those things that are not proper, people having been filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, and evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unfeeling, and unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.” (Romans 1:28-32, NASB)
He gives his beloved Timothy a similar description:
“But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these. For among them are those who slip into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (2 Timothy 3:1-7, NASB)
—AND—
“For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires, and they will turn their ears away from the truth and will turn aside to myths.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4, NASB)
I don’t think I need to add a description of our times. Any search on the internet or consultation of a current newspaper will readily provide the current state of affairs where you reside. Every generation has probably thought that things were out of control at times. When we consult the Bible, we find that the human race, rife with sinfulness and pride, has always found ways to perpetrate evil. Following the reign of good king Hezekiah, we find that his son takes the kingdom to a new low. It seems unthinkable that a good king like Hezekiah could raise such a wicked son. We see this often in 2 Chronicles. A good king will be followed by a bad son and a bad king by a good son. We really aren’t given enough information in the Chronicles to put our finger on the cause. Fortunately, the son will not be judged for the father’s sins and the father will not be judged for the son’s sins (Ezekiel 18:20).
During Manasseh’s fifty-five year reign, he did evil in the sight of the LORD, practicing the sins of the heathen nations around him. He rebuilt the places of idol worship for the Baals and Asherim, extending worship beyond them to the host of heaven. He built idol altars in the house of the LORD and in its two courts for the host of heaven. He offered his sons to Moloch in the valley of Ben-hinnom and practiced witchcraft, divination, sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists. His evil was so extensive that it provoked the LORD to anger. His placement of a carved idol image in the house of God challenged the very covenant God had made with the people of Israel. The summary statement concerning Manasseh’s wickedness is given in 2 Chronicles 33:9:
“So Manasseh encouraged 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)
For wicked people, it’s never enough to continue to push the boundaries of evil; they invite, encourage, and at times compel people to join them in their vile deeds. “Misery” is not the only thing that loves company. Remember above, “although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.”
Be aware: every time we give in to the forces of evil, hoping that it will appease them and they will be satisfied, we only deceive ourselves. Each inch they gain will be an invitation to take more ground. Those of us who love God and seek His righteousness must draw a line in the sand and declare, “We shall not be moved.”
Sadly, it’s never as bad as it can get! There are new lows to which people can stoop. But no matter how bad our culture gets, Christians always have good news to share. There is always hope in the LORD. We can count on His mercy and grace, even in the darkest times.
““Now the one who had received the one talent also came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed. ‘And I was afraid, so I went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you still have what is yours.’ “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You worthless, lazy slave! Did you know that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter seed? ‘Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. ‘Therefore: take the talent away from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’ “For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. “And throw the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
(Matthew 25:24-30, NASB)
The parable of the talents is a well-known story Jesus told to illustrate that what we have been given must be used for His kingdom. The words “Well done, good and faithful servant” have been the desire of many to hear from their Master. But I am afraid that we miss the point concerning the servant who was given only one talent (we’re talking about 20 years of wages for a common worker in that day).
First, consider the value of just one talent. This servant may not have received what the others did, but he was given a significant amount to manage.
Second, he failed to manage what he was given. He was so afraid of losing what he had been given that he sought only to protect it. He was also called “lazy” because it would have taken careful, thoughtful consideration and deliberation to invest his talent wisely.
Even if he had invested it in the safest opportunity, he would have at least earned some interest for his master, rather than just returning what was given.
It is obvious that we lose what we fail to use. This is what the servant learned. But the most frightening proposition is the consequences that servant faced. We might be appalled or confused about his punishment, but what God gives to His stewards, He expects to be used wisely for His kingdom and glory, and He deals harshly with failure to invest what He has given. We are just the managers (stewards/slaves) and He is the master.
Many applications could be offered here, but I want to consider one that churches seldom consider. God has given talents to His churches, both in terms of spiritual, physical, and financial resources and He expects us to invest them wisely. At some point, those churches will have to answer to God concerning how those resources were invested.
Now, I have observed that those churches sitting on these resources, hoping not to lose them and counting on them to provide security, are like the steward given the one talent. They are afraid that they will lose what they have if they invest, so they just hold on to what they have. THIS IS NOT WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE FAITH! THIS IS NOT WHAT IT MEANS TO TRUST GOD!
Rather than saying, “We don’t have enough resources to do what we believe God is calling us to do, so we will just hold on to what we have until we get enough”, we should say, “God, why have You given us these resources and what do You want us to do with them.” We should be seeking how God desires those resources to be invested. Maybe we don’t have enough to accomplish what God is calling us to do. But we should be trusting Him to provide what is needed.
It is possible for churches to close their doors (to die) with money in the bank and property that they own. At some point, they could have asked how they should invest those resources to reach the lost and disciple believers. We are not called to simply maintain property and pay the bills. If we are not willing to reach the lost and train them to live godly lives, those resources have just been buried in the sand. What good is money in the bank and paid-off property if they are just sitting there unused and untouched 99% of the time? What good is a savings account that will keep the doors open, but no one is coming to faith? What good are CDs and other investments that we hold on to for years, hoping to use them in some grand scheme in the future that may never come?
I am not against savings accounts and other investments! I am against hoarding resources, hoping to stave off future failure and demise. By the time many churches decide to do something, it is invariably too late! And don’t get me started on spending valuable resources on things that won’t help us accomplish our main mission. We will paint the building, fix the leaking roof, and replacing the carpet, but we just don’t have the resources for an outreach campaign. How shortsighted. Don’t we realize that it won’t matter about the condition of the building (though it should be maintained), if we don’t have people coming to use it?
We don’t want to squander God’s resources, but we can’t afford to hoard them either. We must begin investing them in what matters most…building God’s kingdom.
REVDANS 