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2 Chronicles 28 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
Wow. What a chapter. Where do we begin?
There are times in Scripture where we read that the Lord handed over the people to their own consequences. This is one of those times. To us, it may seem cruel. However, the Bible clearly describes the blackened, evil ways that the Lord’s people had committed themselves to. It was atrocious. Not only do we read of infants being sacrificed and burnt alive, but the two nations themselves were ready to kill each other. It was chaos.
How does it make you feel to read this? Heartbroken? Enraged? Or, do you avoid the feelings completely because they are too overwhelming? I admit I have been there. News headlines announce the same kind of atrocities every single day in our modern world. So, when we read this in Scripture, we shouldn’t really be shocked. Although it looks different, evil is as prevalent as ever today.
But, there is something even more shocking than the acts of these people. What???
It’s grace. Outrageous, unconditional, intensive grace. The acts of these people deserved to be punished, right? Who would disagree with that? Today, these same acts enrage us beyond comprehension. Our hearts seek justice. This is a good thing! The morality which has been placed in our hearts from the beginning guides us to these conclusions.
Sometimes it seems like punishment and vengeance would be a better solution than grace. It feels as if judgment would speak loud and clear and turn people back to God. The reality we see in the Old Testament is that the natural consequences and judgment from the law of God only stood to condemn man’s heart. They (we) would not change. The law makes us aware of the prison cage that has confined us as enemies of God.
“But the Scripture has imprisoned everything under sin’s power, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 Before this faith came, we were confined under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith was revealed. 24 The law, then, was our guardian until Christ, so that we could be justified by faith. 25 But since that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”
Galatians 3:22-26 HCSB
This is why we share and live the Good News of The Gospel. This is why we pray. This is why we meet and fellowship together as the body of Christ. We are FREE! If we truly believe in the power of grace by faith to change the lives of people, we will not shy away from evil. We will approach it with the light of Christ. For light, by its very nature, consumes darkness. Jesus is that light.
“That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it.”
John 1:5 HCSB
Lord help us to not fear or judge the darkness, but to use our faith in Jesus as a light to overcome it!