From Decision to Destiny
ICS Daily Devotions
2 Chronicles 29:6-9 (NKJV) For our fathers have trespassed and done evil in the eyes of the Lord our God; they have forsaken Him, have turned their faces away from the dwelling place of the Lord, and turned their backs on Him. They have also shut up the doors of the vestibule, put out the lamps, and have not burned incense or offered burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel. Therefore the wrath of the Lord fell upon Judah and Jerusalem, and He has given them up to trouble, to desolation, and to jeering, as you see with your eyes. For indeed, because of this our fathers have fallen by the sword; and our sons, our daughters, and our wives are in captivity.
Hezekiah displayed a profound sense of priority in his life, a quality that set him apart as a godly leader. When he addressed the people and explained the dire state of their nation, he minced no words, pinpointing the root of their problems.
The spiritual decline of the kingdom of Judah was the starting point of their troubles and served as the root cause of the nation’s myriad of problems. Because we reap what we sow, the moral and ethical compromises that followed their departure from God had far-reaching consequences.
The deterioration in the lives of individuals, families, cities, and entire nations can often be traced back to their departure from the Lord. As free moral agents, humans are endowed with the freedom to choose, and those choices significantly impact the course of their lives. Therefore, in a world with increasingly liberal worldviews, it is paramount to be a positive voice of influence in the lives of our children.
It’s worth noting that at the time of Hezekiah, the people of Israel were operating under two concurrent covenants—the Abrahamic covenant and the Mosaic covenant. The Abrahamic covenant was unconditional, promising the birth of the Messiah regardless of Israel’s behaviour. However, the Mosaic covenant was conditional, offering God’s blessings, provision, and protection in exchange for obedience to God’s laws and statutes, lest curses would befall them.
Hezekiah’s father, King Ahaz, was a wicked king who worshipped other gods. Consequently, God’s protection, provision, and blessings were lifted. Intermarriage with the land’s inhabitants and the worship of foreign gods further contributed to this shift. Hezekiah understood that the consequences of their fathers’ actions—neglecting God in worship, failing to practise the prescribed burnt offerings, and neglecting the upkeep of God’s house—led to their downfall and the captivity of their children, and he recognised that spiritual deterioration served as the root cause of their nation’s woes.
Even though we live in a different dispensation and covenant as compared to Hezekiah’s time, the unchanging truth is that as a leader or as an individual, our walk with God and our decisions will determine our destiny and the destinies of those we lead.
Sermon Series: Wise Leadership
