Today's Reading June 08

Good morning and Happy Friday!
This morning's reading from the Old Testament continues, as we will for the next few days, in 2nd Chronicles. Today we study chapters 26, 27, and 28.
We know that in the next few days we will see the accounts of the fall of the kingdoms of Judah and of Israel, and that bright hope we recall when the children of Israel ended their long Exodus from bondage seems to have fallen forever (though that was not so, not totally). And here we see more evidence of the rot. That rot is, as I said the other day, altogether too familiar in our own lands, and I believe that the same disaster may overtake us as well.

In 26 we see Uzziah, a good king, and a strong king, who fell into the sin of pride.

16 But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense.
17 And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the LORD, that were valiant men:
18 And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the LORD, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honor from the LORD God.
19 Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense: and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, from beside the incense altar.
20 And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence; yea, himself hasted also to go out, because the LORD had smitten him.

In chapter 27, a sign that all is not yet lost

6 So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God.

But he was followed in chapter 28 by his own son, a man of a different sort.

Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: but he did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD, like David his father:
2 For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim.
3 Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.
4 He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.

did you see verse 3?? Go back and look, and consider: what sort of man is it who will throw his own children into a fire as a human sacrifice to his god? Not a good man, but an evil man. We see a very similar thing in own time - the wicked demon-cult of Islam openly preaches ''death for the glory of Allah'' as even small children are encouraged to to vile murder in the name of the demon named Allah. Some things never change by the way.

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The evening reading is the Gospel of John, chapter 17.
This is a prayer by Jesus. It is worth noting for that reason alone, and the fact that He knew that we would be studying it some 2000 years later just adds to that. He expected, even desired, us to know about it. And there are some important things there. You can pick out some, easily, and over time different ones may seem particularly significant. That is as it should be. Today, I like,

14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;