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May 13, 2010 2Chronicles 32-35:19


Happy Birthday to my oldest son, Mick!

Hezekiah had made Judah so nice that the king of Assyria decided he wanted it for himself. They prepared for war by fortifying the walls and making weapons. He assembled all the people and told them to be strong and courageous, not afraid or discouraged because they had God with them. Later, the Assyrian king sent officers with a message telling them not to believe what Hezekiah had told them since none of the other gods of any of the other places they had conquered had saved them. He warned them not to believe Hezekiah. They even went so far as to compare God to the other gods. Hezekiah and Isaiah prayed to God. He answered with an angel who came and annihilated all the fighting men and officers. The Assyrian king went home in disgrace, and when he went to pray in his temple, his sons killed him.

Hezekiah was on his deathbed and he prayed and God gave him a miracle. In 2Kings 20verse 11 Isaiah prays and a shadow moves backward 10 steps. Hezekiah had been too proud and so he repented. Hezekiah did many great things in Judah, when he died, his son Manasseh became king.

Manasseh was 12 when he became king, he ruled for 55 years and worshiped other gods. He put a statue of his god in the temple breaking the covenant God made with David. They were so bad that they did more evil than the nations they had replaced in the land. God spoke, but they wouldn't listen, so he had conquerers come in. They took Manasseh prisoner - even putting a hook in his nose - THAT woke him up and he realized his sin, repented and believed in God. He changed his ways after that and did what was right. When he died, his son Amon became king of Judah.

Amon ruled for 2 years and continued doing evil. Amon's officials killed him, then the people of Judah killed the officials and made his son, Josiah king.

Josiah was only 8 when he became king. He reigned 31 years and walked in the Lord's way. He removed the idol worship things and restored the temple. While they were working, some men found the Book of the Law of the Lord tucked away in the temple. Josiah mourned when he heard what the book said and asked his advisors to find out what God had to say. They asked the prophetess Huldah and she told them that the Lord would bring ruin on them because the covenant had been broken. God also said that because Josiah had done all he had done, that God would spare him the atrocities which would befall Judah and he would be buried in peace. As long as he lived the people followed the Lord with him. In the 18th year of his reign he celebrated the Passover in such a way as hadn't been done since the prophet Samuel was alive.

Tomorrow finish 2Crhonicles & Ezra 1-3

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