The Truth Shall Make You Free William Tyndale

 

2 Chronicles 30 — When the People Had Forgotten

There are chapters in the Bible that make you stop and think. Second Chronicles 30 is one of them.

Reading this chapter, I couldn't help but think about our own time. It is difficult to look around and not wonder how far many have drifted from the Scriptures. Yet, just as in Hezekiah's day, there are still people who have not forgotten. There are still those who are willing to hear, respond, and carry on.

But let's look at what was happening in Judah and Israel.

A neglected Passover

Hezekiah had become king, and he wanted to bring the people back to the LORD. One of the first things he did was make arrangements to keep the Passover.

Think about that for a moment. The Passover was not some minor observance. It was a reminder of how God had delivered Israel from Egypt. It was part of their history and their identity as a people.

Yet here they were, needing to be called back to something God had already given them.

Hezekiah sent letters throughout Israel and Judah, inviting the people to come to Jerusalem and keep the Passover unto the LORD.

The invitation was not limited to Judah. He wanted the people of Israel to return also.

The message was simple:

“Turn again unto the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel...” (2 Chronicles 30:6).

Some mocked, but others humbled themselves

What happened next is especially telling.

The messengers went from city to city, but the response was not what everyone might have hoped.

Verse 10 tells us:

“...they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them.”

There were people who wanted nothing to do with the invitation. Perhaps they had become so accustomed to their ways that the thought of returning to the LORD seemed foolish.

But the chapter does not end there.

Verse 11 gives us another picture:

“Nevertheless divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem.”

There were still some who listened.

I find that word nevertheless worth stopping over. Some laughed, nevertheless some humbled themselves. Some rejected the invitation, nevertheless others came.

It reminds us that even when it appears that people have turned away, we should not assume everyone has.

A heart prepared to seek the LORD

The people gathered in Jerusalem, and the Passover was kept.

But there was another problem. Many of those who came had not properly purified themselves according to the requirements of the law.

Hezekiah did not ignore the matter. He prayed for them:

“The good LORD pardon every one” (2 Chronicles 30:18).

Then he gave the reason for his prayer. These were people who had prepared their hearts to seek God, even though they had not been cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.

And the Scripture says:

“And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.” (2 Chronicles 30:20).

What a remarkable moment.

The people had come with shortcomings, but they had come with hearts prepared to seek the LORD. Hezekiah prayed, and the LORD heard him.

We should not overlook that.

There was still joy in Jerusalem

Verse 26 tells us:

“So there was great joy in Jerusalem: for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was not the like in Jerusalem.”

Think about how much time had passed. Think about the generations who had come and gone. Yet now, under Hezekiah, the people were gathered again, remembering what the LORD had done.

The chapter closes by telling us that the priests and Levites blessed the people, and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to God's holy dwelling place, even unto heaven.

What a contrast to the laughter and mocking that had greeted the messengers!

What about our day?

I don't want to suggest that our day and Hezekiah's day are identical. Israel had a particular covenant relationship with the LORD, and we should be careful to recognize the setting of the passage.

But there is something here that should make us think.

How easily can people become removed from the Scriptures? How many generations can pass before something once familiar becomes unfamiliar?

And yet, we should remember the nevertheless in this chapter.

There were still people who humbled themselves. There were still people who responded. There were still people who wanted to seek the LORD.

Perhaps we spend too much time looking at those who laugh and mock, and not enough time recognizing those who are quietly carrying on.

We may not know how many there are. We may not hear about them. They may not be the loudest voices in the room. But they are there.

Hezekiah sent the invitation. Some rejected it, but others came.

That is something worth remembering when we look at our own time.

The question I leave with you is this: Are we so discouraged by those who have turned away that we overlook those who are still willing to hear?

Read 2 Chronicles 30 for yourself. Notice the response of the people, the prayer of Hezekiah, and the joy that followed.

There is much more in this chapter than I can cover here. Sometimes the best thing a passage can do is send us back to the Scriptures to search out the matter for ourselves.

Lew Wallace governor  of New Mexico territory offered Billy the Kid amnesty in 1879.

The deal was finalized during a secret meeting in March 1879, where the New Mexico Territorial Governor promised clemency amnesty if you will in exchange for the outlaw's testimony regarding the murder of attorney Huston Chapman. Although Billy the Kid held up his end of the bargain by testifying, the local district attorney refused to release him, leading to his escape and eventual death in 1881.

Jesus Christ is offering you amnesty according to 2 Corinthians 5:19 "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." We are in a grace period of time in Ephesians 2:28-9 says For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. Christ as an atoning sacrifice Who gave of Himself willingly to die on a Roman cross for our justification before God to keep us from the wrath to come.  2 Corinthians 6:1-2  "We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured (helped you) thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."

Even though Billy's amnesty offer didn't turn out so well for him yours can mean eternal life in Jesus Christ. believe in Him Today for today is the day of salvation don't put it off because what If Tomorrow Never Comes?

The Bread, the Rock, and the Spiritual Things We Often Miss

 From the wilderness of Israel to the words of Christ

Sometimes we read Scripture and see only the physical events taking place. But throughout the Bible, God uses physical things to reveal spiritual truths.

Consider Israel in the wilderness.

In 1 Corinthians 10:1–4, Paul reminds us that Israel passed through the sea, was baptized unto Moses, ate spiritual meat, and drank spiritual drink.

Then Paul makes a remarkable statement:

"For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ." (1 Corinthians 10:4, KJV)

The manna was real food. The water was real water. The Rock was part of Israel's wilderness experience. Yet Paul reveals a spiritual significance beyond what the physical eye could see.

The Bread from Heaven

Now turn to John 6.

After feeding the multitude with five loaves and two fishes, Jesus tells the people:

"Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life." (John 6:27)

The people had experienced a physical miracle, but Jesus wanted them to understand something greater.

He declares:

"I am the living bread which came down from heaven." (John 6:51)

The people struggled with His words. They were thinking physically: How could this man give us His flesh to eat?

But Jesus was directing their attention to Himself and the life He would give.

A Pattern in John's Gospel

We see this same difficulty in several conversations:

John 3: Nicodemus thinks of physical birth of Israel (Exodus 14) while Jesus speaks of spiritual birth of Israel (Jeremiah 31:31–34 , Isiah 66:8)

John 4: The woman at the well thinks of physical water, while Jesus speaks of living water.

John 6: The multitude thinks of physical bread, while Jesus speaks of the bread of life.

Jesus later explains:

"It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63)

Learning to Listen

There is a lesson here for all of us.

We can become so focused on what we see and understand physically that we miss the spiritual truth being revealed.

Israel had manna, but the greater provision was Christ.

Israel drank water from the Rock, but Paul tells us that Rock was Christ.

The people in John 6 wanted another meal, but Jesus was offering something that would endure unto everlasting life.

Rightly Dividing the Word 2 Timothy 2:15

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (Orthotemeo} the word of truth.

We should also recognize the different audiences and purposes of these passages.

Jesus was speaking to Israel during His earthly ministry (Romans 15:8.) Paul was writing to believers in Corinth and using Israel's wilderness experience as an example and warning.

We should not confuse those settings, but neither should we overlook the connections Scripture itself gives us.

The physical events were real, and the spiritual lessons are real.

Perhaps one of the greatest lessons in Bible study is simply this:

Don't just look at what happened. Listen to what God is teaching through what happened.

2 Corintians 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

Ephesians 2:8 - 9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. 

BUT remember this warning 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succour thee (come to help you:) behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

JERUSALEM - 3D Timelapse

 

 

Having a Purpose Worth the Struggle

Have you ever wondered what makes a person willing to go through so much trouble to accomplish something?

I was reading 2 Corinthians the other morning and looking at a map of Corinth. Just north of the city is a narrow strip of land connecting the Peloponnese with mainland Greece. Today, the Corinth Canal cuts through that land, allowing ships to avoid the long and sometimes dangerous journey around the southern end of Greece.

But the canal wasn't built until the nineteenth century. In ancient times, the Greeks had another solution. They built a paved trackway across the isthmus and hauled ships overland to get them from one body of water to the other.

Think about that for a moment. Instead of sailing around the peninsula, they went to the trouble of moving ships across solid ground!

It makes you wonder what those workers must have thought as they struggled with the task before them. It certainly wasn't an easy way to get a ship from one place to another. But they had a purpose, and that purpose made the effort worthwhile.

What Makes the Struggle Worthwhile?

That thought led me to something else. We all face obstacles in life. Sometimes we have a goal we want to reach, a project we want to finish, or a dream we've been pursuing for years.

There are days when the work seems harder than we expected. Progress is slow, and we may wonder whether all the effort is worth it.

Perhaps the question isn't simply how difficult the road is. Perhaps we should ask ourselves why we're traveling it in the first place.

When we have a purpose worth pursuing, the struggle takes on a different meaning. We may still get tired, discouraged, or frustrated, but we have a reason to keep going.

And sometimes that purpose isn't about accomplishing something for ourselves. Sometimes it's about helping somebody else.

He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother

That brings to mind an old song by the Hollies, He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother.

The title says a lot in just a few words. The idea is that carrying someone else's burden doesn't have to be an unbearable task when love gives us a reason to help.

We all know people who are carrying heavy loads. Some are dealing with family problems, some are facing financial difficulties, and others are struggling with circumstances most of us know nothing about.

We may not be able to solve all their problems, but we can sometimes help them carry the load. A kind word, a little time, a helping hand, or simply being there when someone needs us can make a difference.

The important thing is remembering that the person matters more than the inconvenience.

What Does the Bible Say?

Paul gives us a wonderful reminder in Galatians 6:2:

“Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” (KJV)

Notice that Paul doesn't tell us to ignore the burdens of others because we have enough problems of our own. He tells us to help carry them.

Interestingly, just three verses later, Galatians 6:5 says:

“For every man shall bear his own burden.”

These statements aren't contradictory. We each have responsibilities we must accept, but there are also times when another person's load becomes too heavy to carry alone. That's when we have an opportunity to help.

Christianity isn't just about what we believe. It also affects how we treat the people around us.

We cannot carry every burden in the world, and we aren't expected to take responsibility for everything everyone else does. But when we see someone who needs help, we should consider whether we can do something to lighten the load.

A Purpose Worth Pursuing

The ancient Greeks found ways to move ships across land because the destination mattered enough to justify the work.

We face different challenges today, but the principle still applies. Whether we're working toward a personal goal, caring for our families, serving others, or trying to accomplish something that matters to us, we need to remember why we started.

And sometimes the greatest accomplishment isn't reaching our own destination. It's helping somebody else make it through theirs.

So the next time the road seems long and the load feels heavy, take a moment to consider your purpose.

Is it worth the struggle?

And if someone else is struggling beside you, perhaps the better question is this:

Can I help make their journey a little easier?

After all, some things are worth carrying, not because they are light, but because the person we're carrying them for matters.

Acts 16:30-31 30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

 

Salvation is of The Jews?