2 KINGS 22:11 - “The Door of Destitution”
I have to say... I have been going through a wilderness experience, I didn't know how to get out. Today the Lord showed me the door to get out, reading 2 KINGS 22:11 The Message
-,When King Josiah, heard what was written in the book, God’s Revelation, he ripped his robes in dismay. And then he called for Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the royal secretary, and Asaiah the king’s personal aide. He ordered them all: “Go and pray to God for me and for all Judah! We must find out what we must do in response to what is written in this book that has just been found! God’s anger must be burning furiously against us, our ancestors haven’t obeyed a thing written in this book, followed none of the instructions directed to us.”
I have to believe King Josiah, must have had long thought the case of his kingdom being bad, by reason of the idolatries and sins that had been found among them, but he never thought it so bad as he perceived it to be by the book of the law now read to him. When he ripped his clothes, I believed his heart pained for dishonouring God, and the ruin he saw coming upon his people.
We are always pushing God to the back, with our thoughts and actions over powering Jesus being the center of our lives. Now I know the meaning of Mark 3:33-35 Jesus responded, “Who do you think are my mother and brothers?” Looking around, taking in everyone seated around him, he said, “Right here, right in front of you...my mother and my brothers. Obedience is thicker than blood. The person who obeys God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” From first looks it looks like, Jesus was walking away from the people who knew him well, but it was the opposite it, those people who knew him well were walking aways from the source of our being.The greatest spiritual blessing we receive is when we come to the knowledge that we are destitute. Until we get there, our Lord is powerless. He can do nothing for us as long as we think we are sufficient in and of ourselves. We must enter into His kingdom through the door of destitution.
-,When King Josiah, heard what was written in the book, God’s Revelation, he ripped his robes in dismay. And then he called for Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the royal secretary, and Asaiah the king’s personal aide. He ordered them all: “Go and pray to God for me and for all Judah! We must find out what we must do in response to what is written in this book that has just been found! God’s anger must be burning furiously against us, our ancestors haven’t obeyed a thing written in this book, followed none of the instructions directed to us.”
I have to believe King Josiah, must have had long thought the case of his kingdom being bad, by reason of the idolatries and sins that had been found among them, but he never thought it so bad as he perceived it to be by the book of the law now read to him. When he ripped his clothes, I believed his heart pained for dishonouring God, and the ruin he saw coming upon his people.
We are always pushing God to the back, with our thoughts and actions over powering Jesus being the center of our lives. Now I know the meaning of Mark 3:33-35 Jesus responded, “Who do you think are my mother and brothers?” Looking around, taking in everyone seated around him, he said, “Right here, right in front of you...my mother and my brothers. Obedience is thicker than blood. The person who obeys God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” From first looks it looks like, Jesus was walking away from the people who knew him well, but it was the opposite it, those people who knew him well were walking aways from the source of our being.The greatest spiritual blessing we receive is when we come to the knowledge that we are destitute. Until we get there, our Lord is powerless. He can do nothing for us as long as we think we are sufficient in and of ourselves. We must enter into His kingdom through the door of destitution.
Comments
God gave me 2 King 13:10-19, yesterday when Elisha was dying and he told Joash to shoot the arrows out the window..because Syria has come upon them hard...a test of faith, but Joash did it halfhearted and only shot 3 arrows instead of 5-6 arrows. Joash was overwhelmed with his situation and his beloved Elisha was near death. Elisha was very upset with Joash, not giving it his all. Even with Elisha dying he wants us to be whole hearted for the Lord..not to give up in the fight...doing this we let God down in our faith toward him..down deep inside we don't believe God could get us out of this mess. Joash, shows me, it is to our spiritual advantage to attend the sick-beds and death-beds of good ministers and other good men, that we may learn to die, and may be encouraged . Joash, lamented Elisha in the same words with which Elisha had himself lamented the removal of Elijah: My father, my father. Elisha was giving counsel to Joash point blank, ”God’s grace is not tied to one hand.”
I can be so rich in my own poverty, or in the awareness of the fact that I am nobody, that I will never achieve anything. Or I can be so rich in the awareness that I am somebody that I will never understand my real self worth. Am I willing to be destitute and poor even in my sense of awareness of my destitution and poverty? If not, that is why I become discouraged. Discouragement is disillusioned self-love, and self-love may be love for my devotion to Jesus— not love for Jesus Himself.
David Samuel Davis, you asked me what is some of the obstacle I have been dealing with God, this story comes to mind... In this story we have an Old Testament King named Jehoash who has an interesting conversation with Elisha. Elisha is on his death bed and Jehoash come to pay his respects to the prophet.
Elisha apparently has a soft spot in his heart for this king and he wants to give him a parting gift before he passes away. He tells the king to go get a bow and shoot an arrow out the window. And in the midst of this assignment Elisha puts his hands on those of the king – like a father might his child.
When Jehoash does shoots the arrow, Elisha says: “The LORD’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram! You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.” II Kings 13:17
Essentially Elisha is telling Jehoash – God has a plan for your life. And Jehoash had to do almost nothing to receive that blessing.
But notice what happens next: Then (Elisha) said, "Take the arrows," and the king took them. Elisha told him, "Strike the ground." He struck it three times and stopped.
The man of God was angry with him and said, "You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times." II Kings 13:18-19
Elisha asked to strike the ground with the arrows! And almost immediately Elisha is angry in how Jehoash did what he did.
I don't know about you. but I always stop short of God's Blessings.Putting less of the effort that I should have. Relying on my own strength ,hoping that the situation would resolve through my effort...how foolish I am. Jehoash,is a bad guy, talking to him about God is a waste of time, so he is just going thru the motions – again - he’s going to miss out on the full blessings God could have given him. He only strikes the ground 3 times – so 3 times his army will beat Aram. If he’d taken this seriously he’d have totally and finally defeated his enemy. A Godly king might have said to Elisha: “Tell me how many times to strike the ground. I want to make sure I do this right for God.” 2 Chronicles 16:9 says:
“For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”