What steps can we take to ensure God's favor, avoiding Judah's fate? Setting the scene: why Judah collapsed 2 Chronicles 28 tells how King Ahaz dragged Judah into idolatry, closed the temple doors, and copied the religions of the nations. The result surfaces in 2 Chronicles 28:17: “The Edomites had again come and attacked Judah and carried away captives.” Military defeat was only the symptom; the real issue was Judah’s broken relationship with the LORD. Everything that follows flows from that core truth. Step 1 — Come clean and turn around • Own the problem: “The LORD humbled Judah because of Ahaz… he had been very unfaithful” (28:19). • Personal action: confess sin without excuse (1 John 1:9). • Corporate action: acknowledge national or family compromise (Nehemiah 1:6-7). • Promise attached: “If My people… humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear” (2 Chronicles 7:14). Repentance is not a mood swing; it is a decisive change of direction that re-opens the channel of favor. Step 2 — Smash the idols, large and small • Ahaz “sacrificed to the gods of Damascus” (28:23); idolatry guaranteed loss. • Our idols today may be career, entertainment, relationships, or self-reliance. • Action plan: – Identify anything we trust more than the LORD (Exodus 20:3). – Remove it, even if culture applauds it (2 Kings 18:4; Hezekiah’s reforms). – Guard the heart daily (Proverbs 4:23). God’s favor rests where He alone is worshiped. Step 3 — Re-open the place of worship and obey promptly • Hezekiah, Ahaz’s son, “opened the doors of the house of the LORD and repaired them” (2 Chronicles 29:3). • Daily application: – Prioritize gathered worship; don’t treat church as optional (Hebrews 10:25). – Personal altar: consistent Scripture intake (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:2-3). – Immediate obedience when Scripture convicts (James 1:22). Closing the temple cost Judah God’s presence; opening it restored blessing. The principle still stands. Step 4 — Trust covenant promises, not clever alliances • Ahaz paid tribute to Assyria hoping for security (28:20-21), but “it did not help him.” • Modern parallels: leaning on politics, finance, or human approval. • Instead: – “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5-6). – Practical budgeting, planning, and voting matter, yet ultimate confidence rests in God (Psalm 20:7). Favor is found where reliance rests on the covenant-keeping God, not on maneuvering. Step 5 — Walk in sustained obedience, not short-term enthusiasm • Judah’s reforms under previous kings were sometimes a burst, then drifted. • Galatians 6:9: “Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up.” • Daily rhythms that keep us on course: – Morning surrender: “Today, Lord, lead my steps” (Psalm 25:4-5). – Weekly rest and recalibration (Exodus 20:8-11). – Accountability with mature believers (Hebrews 3:13). Steady obedience positions a life, a family, even a nation for the long haul of blessing. Step 6 — Disciple the next generation • Ahaz’s collapse affected sons and daughters who were “sacrificed in the fire” (28:3). • Positive alternative: – Teach God’s works “to your children and your grandchildren” (Deuteronomy 4:9). – Model faith at home; Scripture at the dinner table, prayer in crises, generosity as normal. A legacy of faith invites favor long after we are gone (Psalm 103:17-18). Snapshot of promised favor When repentance is real, idols are discarded, worship is restored, reliance is shifted to God, obedience becomes consistent, and the next generation is discipled, Scripture assures us of God’s gracious response: • “The eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are fully devoted to Him” (2 Chronicles 16:9). • “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people He has chosen as His inheritance” (Psalm 33:12). Judah’s fate warns; the pathway of favor remains open—and clear—for any who will walk it. |
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