The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Kings 12:2,
"Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him."
Joash is considered to have been one of the eight good kings Judah had - out of twenty. We read in this verse that King Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord: all the years Jehoiada instructed him. Joash apparently was one who listened to wise counsel and that counsel came from Jehoiada the priest.
In Proverbs 19:20 we read, "Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise." Conversely, in that same chapter, verse 27 we read, "Stop listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge." I wonder if the observation that Joash did good in the Lord's eyes "all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him" is a reference to the truth given us in Proverbs 19.
We can live our lives pleasing to God, lives lived that might be described as doing "what was right in the eyes of the Lord", but it requires something very simple: we need to avail ourselves of God's word for wise counsel and instruction. I say our Bibles, because we do not have a "Jehoiada the priest" in our hip pockets, and all too often, those who provide leadership within the church lack what Jehoiada was able to provide Joash.
When we neglect our Bibles, we lose a vital connection to heaven itself and we will find ourselves straying from living our lives in a way that is "right in the eyes of the Lord". Paul reminds us in his letter to Timothy, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
"Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him."
Joash is considered to have been one of the eight good kings Judah had - out of twenty. We read in this verse that King Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord: all the years Jehoiada instructed him. Joash apparently was one who listened to wise counsel and that counsel came from Jehoiada the priest.
In Proverbs 19:20 we read, "Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise." Conversely, in that same chapter, verse 27 we read, "Stop listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge." I wonder if the observation that Joash did good in the Lord's eyes "all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him" is a reference to the truth given us in Proverbs 19.
We can live our lives pleasing to God, lives lived that might be described as doing "what was right in the eyes of the Lord", but it requires something very simple: we need to avail ourselves of God's word for wise counsel and instruction. I say our Bibles, because we do not have a "Jehoiada the priest" in our hip pockets, and all too often, those who provide leadership within the church lack what Jehoiada was able to provide Joash.
When we neglect our Bibles, we lose a vital connection to heaven itself and we will find ourselves straying from living our lives in a way that is "right in the eyes of the Lord". Paul reminds us in his letter to Timothy, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
No comments:
Post a Comment