Josiah's mistake in judgement

2 Chronicles Chapter 35

King Josiah announced the Passover of the Lord would be celebrated in Jerusalem on the appointed day in early spring. The lambs were slaughtered, the priests assigned and the Levites were teachers in Israel. The Levites no longer had to carry the ark back and forth and so they spent their time serving the Lord and his people. All the participants in the Passover did so according to the instructions given to Moses. The huge celebration had livestock donated by the king, and after much preparation, the ceremony took place on schedule. They celebrated for seven days and none of the the other kings of Israel had ever kept a Passover as did Josiah.

After Josiah finished restoring the Temple, King Neco of Egypt led his army to help the Assyrians and marched through Judah. Josiah's army marched out to meet them. But Egypt's king sent a message that he had no quarrel with the king of Judah and that God himself had told Egypt's king to hurry to fight the nation with which he was at war. But Josiah refused to listen and would not turn back. He led his army into battle and lay his royal robes aside so as not to be recognized. He was wounded by arrows and was placed in another chariot and brought back to Jerusalem where he died.

All of Judah and Jerusalem mourned for King Josiah. Funeral songs were composed for him and became traditional funeral songs of his culture.

BIBLE NOTES SHOW: For seven days the people ate bread without yeast to commemorate the Exodus from Egypt.
The war with King Neco occurred in 609 B.C. when Nineveh, the Syrian capital had been destroyed three years earlier by the Babylonians. The defeated Assyrians regrouped, but the Babylonians army wanted to destroy them once and for all. Pharaoh Neco wanted to make Egypt a world power and, so he marched his army through Judah to help the Assyrians at Carchemish. Neco went on and held off the Babylonians for four years, but in 605, he was defeated and Babylon was the dominant world power.

HOW DOES THIS CHAPTER RELATE TO US TODAY? Josiah made a mistake by thinking Neco, the king of a pagan nation, could not be part of God's larger plan. He was wrong and it cost him his life. God's message may come in unexpected ways. We must even today be reminded not to be prejudiced or assume something that blinds us to God's message. I am just as guilty of this as you are. But God reminds me that he often speaks through those that seem inappropriate or unexpected sources. To prevent this kind of thinking, just keep praying for God's wisdom and power to help you make the right decisions. HE will guide you!

Yours in Christ,
Mary

Prayer Requests are needed for:
HEALTH:
Update on my niece Suzanne, she is healing but her leg was crushed and will take many months of doctoring. She is in a nursing home for rehab care. Pray for her healing. Also Gabe, Wanda, Pray for Janice Long’s parents, especially her mother whose cancer has returned and her father with Alzheimer’s and now her mother in law also with Alzheimer’s. Their family is feeling the strain both emotionally and financially. Pray for them.
And pray for Arlene’s nephew David and for my neighbor Al who is nearing the end of his life. Pray for Carolyn’s brother Ronald who has cancer.
Pray for our friend Michelle who was diagnosed with MS.
Pray for Cyndi Sullivan who was given 14 months to live with cancer, but has made it six years. The pain has returned and she needs our prayers.
UPDATE on Barb who went in for back surgery and had a heart attack and stroke, she has her speech back and is home , but continues to have a problem with one arm and hand. Thanks to your prayers, she is able to hobble without a cane and has been granted disability. She still has surgery scheduled on her hand, but I saw her recently and her attitude is fantastic.
Update on Marthaline Sargent. She lost her battle with health problems and passed away last Tuesday. Our condolences to her son Patrick and daughter Stacey. Continue to pray for her husband Robert Sargent who is quite ill with lung cancer.
Pray for Judy’s husband who was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. Pray for her too, that she can deal with the side effects of his illness.
Pray for John’s recovery from a heart attack and pray he can stop smoking.
SPIRITUAL UPLIFTING: Gail, Mary
RESTORATION OF FAITH: Al, John
LOVE AND SUPPORT: Claire, Hunter, Brian
SUPPORT: Haiti, Chile, survivors of Japan’s earthquake, survivors of the devastating tornadoes in our southernmost states and Joplin, Missouri. Pray too, for our country’s leaders and our military people who die each day for our freedom.