Topic: Total Purging Required [Tuesday October 31, 2017]
Text: 2 Kings 18:1-12
Key Verse: “He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan” (2 Kings 18:4)
When Dan Edwards was ordained as a missionary, Robert Murray McCheyne, in a letter, advised him, “In great measure, according to the purity and perfections of the instrument, will be the success. It is not great talents, but God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God.”
From the text, Hezekiah did not take a cue from his father, Ahaz, having known that he did not live up to God’s expectation. Rather, he took after David, his ancestor, who was a man after God’s heart, and purged the land of Judah of all filthiness. The people had been enmeshed in sins and Hezekiah embarked on total reformation of Judah to enthrone the true worship of God.
To be able to accomplish this mission, he removed all the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snakes, which Moses erected, under the instruction of God, to heal those bitten by snakes. But the bronze snake later became idol in the hearts of the people. So, Hezekiah destroyed and cleaned up everywhere, announcing a new dawn for the worship of true God. His trust in the Lord attracted divine favour in whatever he undertook. Hezekiah successfully rebelled against the king of Assyria. He defeated the Philistines, as far as Gaza, though he witnessed Israel’s journey to the Assyrian captivity.
What is your priority in life? To serve God or Satan? Enoch and Noah never allowed the lifestyle and the mockeries of people to deter them from following after righteousness. Moses did not let the affluence of Pharaoh’s palace affect his resolve to serve God. Samuel never permitted the evil influences of Eli’s children to soil his relationship with God. What is your take on this call to be single-minded in serving God? He is watching and waiting for your response.
Thought for the day: Absolute obedience to God attracts His full blessings.
Bible Reading in one Year: Hosea 10-14
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
