“Surely at
the command of the Lord it came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according
to all that he had done, and also for the innocent blood which he shed, for he
filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; and the Lord would not forgive.”
(vv.3-4).
Some people
have to hit rock bottom before they will return to God. It sometimes takes
loosing everything before a person can see the value in God’s Holy Word. In
today’s reading Judah finally hit rock bottom and lost everything – their land,
their city, their temple, and their freedom. The
reason for Judah’s downfall: the egregious sin of its people under the leadership
of Manasseh” (24:3b).
Rebellion,
denial, transgression, un-confessed sin all lead to judgment, for God is just.
However, He remains compassionate, forgiving, merciful, and loving, to all who
call upon His name and worship Him in spirit and truth. If you or someone you
know has hit rock bottom, pray that God will use the loss and sadness to bring
true of repentance in their life.
The
Truth
“For the
sorrow that is according to the will
of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.”
(2 Corinthians 7:10)
