Over the past week, we had leadership lessons from Hezekiah and the end of the exile. Ezra and Nehemiah, each in their own way, oversees the beginnings of the restoration of Jerusalem. Ezra a religious leader; Nehemiah a civic leader. No matter how many times His chosen people stray from the law and from faithfulness of heart, the Lord repeatedly "lets Himself be won over" when the Israelites humbly ask for His forgiveness and help. What a beautiful image. Here are this week's links:
And here is the link for Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival.
Enjoy and have a great week!
Showing posts with label Hezekiah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hezekiah. Show all posts
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
2 Chronicles 29-36
Good kings and not so good kings are at the heart of this last section of 2 Chronicles. Hezekiah is a model king, like his ancestor David, at least until late in his life when he succumbed, for a time, to pride. Josiah, too, was an admirable king. Others, such as Manasseh, Amon, and Zedekiah--well, not so much. These kings, good and bad, demonstrate the gifts and responsibilities of leadership. When the king turns to the Lord in humility and obedience, in joy and thanksgiving, the people follow. And when he turns away, disobeying God's commands and worshipping other gods, the people he leads do the same. Either way, they lead by example.
This is a lesson not just for kings, but for leaders of all sorts--business managers, government officials, and, most especially, parents. Do I live in joy and thanksgiving? Do I seek God's help when I need it--as He virtually demands that I do? Do I show trust in Him in my words and actions? Do I strive to be faithful of heart in all that I do? To the extent I don't live this way, I am not being the leader that God calls me to be.
The story of Manasseh shows that it is never too late to reverse course and become the right kind of leader. Having been defeated, captured, and taken as a prisoner to Babylon, Manasseh undergoes a change of heart:
In this distress, he began to appease the Lord, his God. He humbled himself abjectly before the God of his fathers and prayed to him. The Lord let himself be won over: he heard his prayer and restored him to his kingdom in Jerusalem. Then Manasseh understood that the Lord is indeed God.
Isn't that a great image--that God let himself be won over? I love that expression.
This is a lesson not just for kings, but for leaders of all sorts--business managers, government officials, and, most especially, parents. Do I live in joy and thanksgiving? Do I seek God's help when I need it--as He virtually demands that I do? Do I show trust in Him in my words and actions? Do I strive to be faithful of heart in all that I do? To the extent I don't live this way, I am not being the leader that God calls me to be.
The story of Manasseh shows that it is never too late to reverse course and become the right kind of leader. Having been defeated, captured, and taken as a prisoner to Babylon, Manasseh undergoes a change of heart:
In this distress, he began to appease the Lord, his God. He humbled himself abjectly before the God of his fathers and prayed to him. The Lord let himself be won over: he heard his prayer and restored him to his kingdom in Jerusalem. Then Manasseh understood that the Lord is indeed God.
Isn't that a great image--that God let himself be won over? I love that expression.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
2 Kings 17-21
With one notable exception, the next group of kings of both Israel and Judah displease the Lord greatly. In the case of the kings of Israel, so much so that the Lord permits the king of Assyria to capture Israel and carry its people off to a distant land. Only Hezekiah, a king of Judah, acts in a way pleasing to the Lord.
He put his trust in the Lord, the God of Israel, and neither before him nor after him was there anyone like him among all the kings of Judah. Loyal to the Lord, Hezekiah never turned away from him, but observed the commandments which the Lord had given Moses.
The Lord rewards Hezekiah with a long life. The Lord sends to him Isaiah, a prophet, to guide him. Isaiah advises Hezekiah when the king of Assyria tries to conquer Judah. Isaiah's counsel, and Hezekiah's heartfelt prayers to God, help turn back the Assyrians. But Isaiah also foretells the ruin of Judah--of its future conquest by Babylon. After Hezekiah's death, his son, Manasseh, succeeds him. Manasseh displeases the Lord greatly, pushing Him past the breaking point, and He speaks through the prophets, promising the destruction of both Jerusalem and Judah: "I will wipe Jerusalem clean as one wipes a dish, wiping it inside and out."
He put his trust in the Lord, the God of Israel, and neither before him nor after him was there anyone like him among all the kings of Judah. Loyal to the Lord, Hezekiah never turned away from him, but observed the commandments which the Lord had given Moses.
The Lord rewards Hezekiah with a long life. The Lord sends to him Isaiah, a prophet, to guide him. Isaiah advises Hezekiah when the king of Assyria tries to conquer Judah. Isaiah's counsel, and Hezekiah's heartfelt prayers to God, help turn back the Assyrians. But Isaiah also foretells the ruin of Judah--of its future conquest by Babylon. After Hezekiah's death, his son, Manasseh, succeeds him. Manasseh displeases the Lord greatly, pushing Him past the breaking point, and He speaks through the prophets, promising the destruction of both Jerusalem and Judah: "I will wipe Jerusalem clean as one wipes a dish, wiping it inside and out."
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