Old Testament Grace

READ 2 Chronicles 33–36

Some say that grace came only in the NT, but the grace of God is also evident in the OT. God didn’t change people with a new birth, but by grace He preserved the nation that would eventually give us the Messiah.

King Hezekiah did well but his son started badly. Those who pray for unsaved children can take heart. Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign. He was evil like the abominations of the nations whom the Lord drove out of the land. He even burned his sons as an offering, used fortune-telling and omens and sorcery, and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He also led his people to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord destroyed. Then grace changed this man:

The Lord spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention. Therefore the Lord brought upon them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh with hooks and bound him with chains of bronze and brought him to Babylon. And when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God. (2 Chronicles 33:10–13)

Manasseh got rid of the foreign gods and the idol in the house of the Lord, and all the altars that he had built. He restored the altar of the Lord and sacrificed peace and thanksgiving offerings. He commanded Judah to serve the Lord. They still sacrificed at high places, but only to the Lord. (33:15–17)

The next king, Amon, did evil as his father had done. He sacrificed to idols but did not humble himself before the Lord. Some conspired against him and he died. His son was made king in his place, a mere eight years old. However, Josiah did what was right and walked in the ways of David his father because he sought God. At twelve, he began to purge the high places and idols. When the priests were at work in the temple and found the Book of the Law of the Lord, Amon realized “great is the wrath of the Lord that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord, to do according to all that is written in this book.” (34:21) A prophetess was consulted who said:

Thus says the Lord, Behold, I will bring disaster upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the curses that are written in the book that was read before the king of Judah. Because they have forsaken me and have made offerings to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands, therefore my wrath will be poured out on this place and will not be quenched. But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, thus shall you say to him, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Regarding the words that you have heard, because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and its inhabitants, and you have humbled yourself before me and have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the Lord. Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring upon this place and its inhabitants.’ ” (34:24–28)

This too is grace.

Josiah took away all the abominations and the people followed the Lord under his reign. He kept a Passover such as none of the kings ever had. However, when warned by God through a foreign king not to battle with him, Josiah was killed. Then the kingdom declined.

Kings were appointed, Jehoahaz, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah, but none stopped the slide. They did evil with stiff necks and hard hearts, all unfaithful to God and not listening to His prophets. They wound up in captivity in Babylon, the house of the Lord was burned, and the city destroyed.

Then, after seventy years, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may the Lord his God be with him. Let him go up.’ ” (36:22–23)

By the grace of God, His people went home, abandoned idols, and rebuild their city. No, they were not blessed with the Messiah, not yet. He came a few hundred years later and soon we celebrate His arrival!

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

 

I was there . . .

READ Matthew 25–28

Jesus is betrayed and crucified. He rose from the dead, yet the animosity toward Him still exists and I feel great sorrow as I read these chapters.

The parable about foolish virgins speaks of those who think they can be united with Him without being ready. The parable of the talents describes any who think He is “a hard man” who can produce profit without the obedience of His servants. Both stories describe similar attitudes today.

The separation of sheep from goats tells of those who ignore how genuine faith produces changed lives; people who love and care for others. The supreme example was the actions of the religious leaders who “plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him” — even though they told others to obey God’s laws, they were more concerned about their popularity than this One who did not sin.

When expensive ointment was poured on Him, His disciples thought it was wasted; it should be given to the poor. How many people today put ‘social concerns’ at the top of their priority list, even over the importance of glorifying God?

Judas betrayed Him, sold him for thirty pieces of silver. His greed prioritized money over doing what was right. Jesus knew betrayal would happen and told the disciples, but their concern seemed more about who was going to do it than how wrong it was. They were also told that they would “fall away” rather than stick with Him, but they denied it, especially Peter who claimed he would die with Him rather than deny Him. But when the time came, even though he stayed near, Peter eventually denied knowing Jesus for fear he would be crucified with Him. Most people today resist “whatever Jesus wants” especially if it means dying for Him.

In the garden, Jesus wanted His followers to pray with Him, but they fell asleep. I doubt there is any Christian that cannot relate to this. Our enemy does his worst to keep us from praying, especially praying with Jesus in crisis situations that seem contrary to the will of God. We don’t get it — how He can use “all things for our good” including trials to build our character? We pray to be comfortable rather than pray to be more like Him.

Jesus was betrayed with a kiss, threatened with physical harm, mocked by many, laughed at, lied about, treated like a criminal. He did not fight back. Today, He is betrayed by hypocrisy and false teachers, lied about, mocked and cursed, even treated as if He did not exist. Some say He was gay, or married a prostitute, or a deluded lunatic. Those who know Him know otherwise, yet today many religious leaders still deny Him, saying He was a mere idea, or an angel, or a special person, anything but God in human flesh.

When Jesus was arrested, bound and delivered to be crucified, His betrayer realized his sin and tried to reverse what he had done, but instead of “seeing to it” himself in repentance and seeking forgiveness, Judas took his own life. Suicide is rampant these days . . . anything to avoid facing the only One who by grace can give even the worst of reasons new life and a fresh start.

Pilate was amazed that Jesus did not fight back. He seemed to know that crucifying Jesus was the wrong choice, but he gave in to peer pressure. His wife warned him and yet he was afraid of a riot and losing his place of authority. How many people reject Jesus because of “what will people think” instead of doing what they know they ought to do?

The soldiers and the crowds mocked Him. If He was the Son of God, why didn’t He come off the cross and save Himself? That was their value system talking. Don’t suffer, save yourself. Make fun of those who give their lives to help or save others. They wanted Him to demonstrate trust in a God who miraculously saves and protects Him, just like today’s crowds who want God to fix everything and make everyone healthy and wealthy, a mockery of the very reason He came.

When Jesus died, they mocked Him yet when many who were dead came from their tombs, they could see He was what He claimed to be, the Son of God. Even as He lay in His tomb, they feared . . . “The chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” And today, some still think Jesus is a fraud.

Lord, I read this with sorrow. Determined rejection of You still happens. Some have no idea who You are and what You have done, and many who claim faith in You still do not obey Your command to “Go therefore and make disciples . . . .”

Oh Lord Jesus, how merciful You are to grant forgiveness and new life to sinners such as I.