Second Kings 20-22

God’s message to me: Be careful of the company you keep. As if it wasn’t bad enough that former kings of Judah spent so much time with the kings of Israel that their children led Judah in the same evil idolatry, Hezekiah welcomed the emissaries of Babylon and gave them the grand tour of every treasure in Israel. As Isaiah pointed out to him, he had shown the thieves where the valuables were kept. It was only a matter of time before they would come to claim those treasures as their prize.

Promises: Ours is a forgiving God who will protect those who honestly recognize their sin and ask forgiveness from God.

Commands: God loves you and wants to be with you but, He cannot be with you unless you recognize your sin and ask his forgiveness.

Timeless principles: The most important thing you can learn is not how you have sinned but how you react to learning of it. When Josiah learned the law of Israel he went into mourning for their sin and begged God to show him what to do about the law he had discovered. Because he humbled himself and mourned for past sin, God promised him security in his time and that the punishment for those past sins would not happen in his lifetime.

How can I apply what I’ve learned: I’ve already done it. I am washed in the blood of Jesus the Christ and forgiven by God for my sins. You can be too. Read this.

more to learn for in-depth study: Read John Chapter 3 and understand the path to salvation.

tomorrow: Second Kings 23-25