Communication from the King

In 2 Chronicles 30 we read the second phase of the revival that took place in Jerusalem under the young reign of King Hezekiah. At the beginning of his reign the king had already repaired the temple, sanctified the priests, made a covenant with God that God might stay His wrath, charged the people to be not negligent but to prepare their hearts, was an example by rising early and going to the temple himself and offered sacrifices with worship, joy and a free heart.

Revival was taking place. Chapter 30 then Chronicles how the king reinstituted the passover in a powerful way and this is what was especially intriguing to me this morning.

2Ch 30:6 - So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, Ye children of Israel, turn again unto the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he will return to the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria.
2Ch 30:7 - And be not ye like your fathers, and like your brethren, which trespassed against the LORD God of their fathers, who therefore gave them up to desolation, as ye see.
2Ch 30:8 - Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the LORD your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you.
2Ch 30:9 - For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him.
2Ch 30:10 - So the posts passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh even unto Zebulun: but they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them.
2Ch 30:11 - Nevertheless divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem.

What a picture of Missions this is.

• The posts (missionaries - the responsibility and privilege of all Christians) have been sent by the decree of the KING
• Their task is to go from city to city declaring a message
• That message is the Written decree of the King (Bible) charging all men everywhere to repent (turn to the Lord God)
• It is a message that has hope of restoration thanks to the grace and mercy of God
• It is a message that has a stern warning of wrath for those who don't turn
• There is a compassion represented - a pleading with the people not to be stiffnecked, not to be like the others, not to follow the crowd, not to continue in the sinful ways of their fathers but to turn to God
• In the process the Posts receive persecution (promised to those that will live godly in Christ Jesus - 2 Tim. 3:12)
• The result - divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem - To the glory of God!
• Beyond that we read how that revival continued to spread through the land -
  2Ch 31:1 Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and brake the images in pieces, and cut down the groves, and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities.

Be encouraged today, the gospel is the power of God unto salvation!