Short Memory

Day 71:  2 Kings 16-20; Ezekiel 43-48; 2 Timothy 3-4

Ahaz succeeded Jotham in Jerusalem.  His sin was the greatest yet.  He sacrificed his son to a pagan god by burning him in the furnace belly of the idol.  In order to please King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria, Ahaz built a pagan altar and placed it in the temple moving Yahweh’s altar aside to make room for the altar for the god to the Assyrian nation.  

In Israel to the north, Hoshea rebelled against the Assyrians.  So Shalmaneser, King of Assyria (this is later after Tiglath-pileser) defeats all Israel’s defenses and takes them off into exile.  He imports foreigners to the region, a common practice intended to wipe out the remembrance of the conquered nation and more quickly facilitate subjugation to the new authority. 

The writer of 2 Kings takes time to remind the reader as to why Israel, part of God’s chosen, suffered such defeat.  It was because they rebelled and did not keep the covenant even after centuries of warning.

"The LORD warned Israel and Judah through every prophet and every seer, saying, "Turn from your evil ways and keep My commandments and statutes according to all the law I commanded your ancestors and sent to you through My servants the prophets." But they would not listen. Instead, they became obstinate like their ancestors who did not believe the LORD their God. They rejected His statutes and His covenant He had made with their ancestors and the warnings He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and became worthless themselves, following the surrounding nations the LORD had commanded them not to imitate. They abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God. They made for themselves molded images—even two calves —and an Asherah pole. They worshiped the whole heavenly host and served Baal. They made their sons and daughters pass through the fire and practiced divination and interpreted omens. They devoted themselves to do what was evil in the LORD's sight and provoked Him. Therefore, the LORD was very angry with Israel, and He removed them from His presence. Only the tribe of Judah remained (2 Kg. 17:13-18)."

Hezekiah is a bright spot in Judah’s line of kings up to this point.  The writer tells us when the kings are bad for they did not do what is right as David did.  And when they are good we are told that they still failed to remove the high places where the people are worshiping pagan gods with their rituals and sacrifices.  But Hezekiah does not fail.  He does everything as David did (2 Kg. 18:3)…except commit adultery and murder (Bathsheba/Uriah).  God is with Hezekiah and curbs the threat of the Assyrian invasion with encouragement through the prophet Isaiah.  

Hezekiah shows us what a righteous king is like. He humbles himself before the altar of Yahweh and intercedes for his nation. When he is sick and dying, he begs for mercy and God hears Hezekiah and extends his life another 15 years.

Sadly, Hezekiah was a bit naïve.  He was given gifts from the Babylonians when they had heard he was sick.  He shows great hospitality by showing the Babylonian ambassadors all his treasures in the palace.  Bad idea!   This leads to war in later generations as prophesied by Isaiah (2 Kg. 20:16-18).

The sad fate of Israel in contrast to Yahweh’s protection on the kingdom of Hezekiah illustrates powerfully the source of blessing and curse.  Those who obey the Lord’s covenant are under His blessing. Those who do not are handed over to enemies, plague and peril, with always a spared remnant to start over again, to be restored to covenant faithfulness and blessing.

Ezekiel continues to write of the restoration of Jerusalem.  Accompanying his vision of a new temple was a new priesthood and Levites as servants to the temple.  There are also descriptions of the New Jerusalem.  These images will resurface when John of Patmos reveals his vision of the New Jerusalem coming down from heaven (Rev. 21:1-23). There are instructions to the princes of Jerusalem to practice justice and not take the people’s property for themselves.  It is cheating them from their inheritance from the Lord.  There is an assigning of portions of land to the 12 tribes, similar to Joshua’s work as Yahweh’s executor. There are instructions on consecration, festival, sacrifices and Passover.

Imagine how much joy was given to the exiled Hebrews to hear the prophet’s words when they had been so long removed from the land and the temple.  Some were born in Babylon who had only heard about Jerusalem, but had never seen it or worshiped there.  They went to bed a little less heavy hearted and they dreamed of the day all this would come true.

God told Ezekiel to tell the people the name of the new city will be known as “Yahweh is There.”

It is a beautiful vision with a river coming from under the threshold of the altar running southward, gaining depth and strength and making the salt sea fresh and the desert regions fertile with trees that bear fruit every month and the leaves are used for healing. The same river appears in John of Patmos’ Revelation (Rev. 22:1-5).

Paul prophesies to Timothy that in the last days before Jesus Christ returns, the great day of the Lord, there will be an increase in evil (2 Tim. 4:1-5).  Timothy must hold fast to his faith and all he has learned (2 Tim. 3:14).  Even if proclaiming the gospel brings persecution and suffering, Paul urges Timothy to continue to preach the truth, rebuking, correcting and encouraging the church with patience (2 Tim. 4:2).  The time is coming when people will not tolerate sound doctrine, but will instead gather teachers who will tell them what they want to hear.  Timothy must stay focused and alert, enduring hardship and working as an evangelist in order to fulfill his ministry calling.

History has a way of repeating itself. Humanity has a short memory.  With all our historical research and with books filling libraries all over the face of the land, more being written every year, one would think we’d have a firm grasp on where we’ve been as a people.  We would learn from our mistakes and live forward with wisdom. 

I remember in the 1980’s the United Methodist Church educating its membership on the problem with state lotteries and gambling. We were encouraged to vote against the lottery referendum.  We were told this would only be the beginning. It would open the door to horse tracks and casinos and the crime and the poverty such things breed.  Not 20 years later everything the church had warned, based on history, has come true.  Our state government is broke. Our education system is struggling.  Prostitutes are flown in from Las Vegas for weekends to schmooze high rollers at Ohio River casinos.  Will we ever learn?

And yet there is hope.  For whenever a nation falls, God is actively reclaiming and restoring what He intends in the aftermath.   Our calling is to build communities that reflect the values and characteristics of the kingdom of God.  Little pockets where the church is proclaiming the gospel will find fruitfulness and blessing, healing and refreshment the year round, while all around is desert and desolation.  And the grace that flows from these communities will make that which is dead, alive again.  For while our mortal memories may be short, God does not forget His promises.