Heeding Wrnings

O.T. #1,002  "Heeding Warnings"
June 13, 2017
2 Chronicles 35-Part 2

LET IT GLOW

He should have stayed at home. He should have stayed out of the fight. He had no business engaging in this war. Josiah was a good king of Judah. He was the man responsible for the return of the Word of God and the Passover observance. Why did he not heed the warning?

Let's se what was going on:

• The Assyrian capital of Nineveh had fallen to the Babylonians in 612 B.C.
• Egypt, who wanted to be a world power, was going down to aide her ally, Assyria, in 609 B.C.
• Assyria regrouped at Carchemish and Haran.
• Egypt went to fight at Carchemish by the Euphrates River because it was to their advantage to her to have a weak Assyria as a buffer against Babylon.
• However, Josiah saw Egypt's potential power as his newly gained independence, so he tried to prevent Necho from passing through Judah and he went up against Necho of Egypt in war.

Do you know people who want to always be in charge? What about those who do not want counsel; those who do not want to submit to authority; those who always want to do things their way? When their projects turn out to be a mess they can't figure out why. But do they ever learn from their mistakes?

LET IT GROW

Josiah was warned by Necho, as he sent messengers to the king of Judah. In verse 21 we read, forbear thee from meddling with God, who is with me, that He destroy thee.

In other words, and New Living Translation puts it:
What do you want with me, king of Judah? I have no quarrel with you today! I am on my way to fight another nation, and God has told me to hurry! Do no interfere with God, who is with me, or He will destroy you.

Do you think this godly king headed the warning?

• He refused to listen to Necho, to whom God had indeed spoken. He rejected divine prophecy.
• Josiah disguised himself and led his army into battle. 
• Enemy archers hit King Josiah with their arrows and wounded him.
• Josiah commanded his men to take him from the battle, for he was baldy wounded.
• Josiah was taken out of his chariot and placed in another chariot.
• He was brought back to Jerusalem, where he died.

Pharoah Necho was a pagan king who served as a spokesman for God, though momentarily.
Even though Josiah had followed the Lord, God did not turn His judgment on Judah, but because of Manasseh's sin of idolatry, the die had been cast.

Necho went on to Carchemish and held off the Babylonians for  years, but in 605 he was soundly defeated, and Babylon moved into dominating world power.

What can we learn from this?
God's messages may come in unexpected ways. Let us not allow prejudice or false assumptions to blind us to God's message, but have an open, listening ear. Heed godly advice.


LET IT GO

Listen to God's warnings.

Watch out for pride and prejudice.