2 Chronicles 36:14–15 (ESV) —
14 All the officers of the priests and the people likewise were
exceedingly unfaithful, following all the abominations of the nations. And they
polluted the house of the Lord that he had made holy in Jerusalem.
15 The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his
messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place.
NOTE: These last 16
verses describe four kings that immediately followed Josiah. It is pretty clear
that Josiah's efforts were temporary. The people and especially the leaders
quickly fall back into patterns of sin. The end is indeed near. Jeremiah and other
prophets attempt to stem the wound, but are ignored, ridiculed, and even
imprisoned for suggesting Jerusalem's actions were wrong. In tomorrow's
passage, God destroys Jerusalem and takes most of the remaining people to
Babylon. I wonder how close we are to the end. God has given us godly leaders
in the past, and he has also given us ungodly leaders. He has even given
ungodly leaders who at least show wisdom in their leading, although not in
their personal lives. How close are we to the end? I fear we are very close to
the end. We all need to repent. We need to live holy lives. We need to worship
God and not the idols of this life. It is very difficult to imagine that there
is much time remaining before the tribulation. Are we living as if the years
are short? Paul was, although, unknown to him, the end was over 2000 years in
the future.
PRAYER: Father, I
hold little hope for my nation and its culture. In the days that are left, I
pray to live a holy and godly life. I pray to have an impact on those around
me. I pray that I would continue to make disciples.
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