Old Testament Prophet’s Dilemma

Prayer – Lord, the saga goes on and on. Why couldn’t those people in Judah and Israel recognize all that You’d done, Your devotion to them, and why wouldn’t they listen? Are people any better? The question still….”Why do you (they) disobey the LORD’s commands…?” Give us wisdom and courage to understand and obediently obey Your commands…and apply them to our lives. 

But after Jehoiada's death, the leaders of Judah came and bowed before King Joash and persuaded him to listen to their advice. They decided to abandon the Temple of the LORD, the God of their ancestors, and they worshiped Asherah poles and idols instead! Because of this sin, divine anger fell on Judah and Jerusalem. Yet the LORD sent prophets to bring them back to him. The prophets warned them, but still the people would not listen. Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, "This is what God says: Why do you disobey the LORD's commands and keep yourselves from prospering? You have abandoned the LORD, and now he has abandoned you!" 2 Chronicles 24:17-20

 

Meditate. Read God’s word and listen to what He is saying.

 

The prophet Zechariah was obedient. But if you read on in this chapter of Second Chronicles, those people to whom Zechariah prophesied were not at all obedient. They were decidedly evil—rejection the very God that made them. Rejecting the total God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—and those who loved Him.

Then the leaders plotted to kill Zechariah, and King Joash ordered that they stone him to death in the courtyard of the LORD's Temple. That was how King Joash repaid Jehoiada for his loyalty—by killing his son. Zechariah's last words as he died were, "May the LORD see what they are doing and avenge my death!" 2 Chronicles 24:21-22

Rocks...available and ready for action.
Stoning of Zechariah.

They turned their backs on God, purposely and intentionally worshipping an idol, forbidden by God’s commandments. Then they plotted to kill a man of God—one filled with the Holy Spirit, thus breaking another of God’s commandments, “Thou shall not kill.” That is just what they did. They stoned Zechariah. Even though he was filled with the Holy Spirit, he was not protected from death. We will all die one day. It is just that Zechariah was unjustly murdered and died earlier than he would have naturally. He came to prophesy…and he confronted the people with their sin of rejecting God. God abandoned them. That didn’t matter to them. Does it matter to you? Personally, above all I value the promise that God will never leave me or forsake me. He may have abandoned those people of Judah…but I am confident that He won’t abandon me. We know that God sees everything we do. Since the Lord is watching you…just as He watched those in Judah, do you think He will want to abandon you?

 

Verses of Salvation ~ So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God's obedient children. Don't slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn't know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. 1 Peter 1:13-15

 

Last Day of April 

© 2023 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved. 

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted. 

New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. 

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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