Archive for category: GAMEtime Sharing

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 23:21-24:7.  There are so many good lessons we can learn from this passage.  Let’s go!

2 Kings 23:21-23 (NIV) 
21  The king gave this order to all the people: “Celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.” 
22  Not since the days of the judges who led Israel, nor throughout the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah, had any such Passover been observed. 
23  But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was celebrated to the LORD in Jerusalem.
 
On verses 21-23:  In the Book of the Law, God had commanded His people to celebrate the Passover, an annual festival intended to commemorate how God had rescued His people.  As part of ushering a revival (a spiritual awakening) in his land, Josiah leads the people of Judah in celebrating the Passover for the first time in approximately 500 years.
 
What can we learn from this? When revival takes place in a person, group, or community, there is a renewed passion in the people to observe the ceremonies that God has instituted, also known as “ordinances”.  In the Christian church there are two ordinances that Jesus commanded us to observe: baptism and communion. 

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 22:1-20.  Let’s go!

On verses 1-20:  At just eight years old Josiah becomes king of Judah.  At age 26, Josiah leads a campaign to repair the temple of the Lord.  As the temple is being repaired, workers in the temple recover an old Book of the Law, which most likely contained the first five books of the Bible, also known as the Pentateuch.  (Some scholars say that during the reign of Josiah’s father King Manasseh, Manasseh tried to destroy all copies of the Pentateuch, and this one copy may have been the only one left.)  

As Josiah reads this Book of the Law, his heart is moved.  In an act of repentance and mourning, Josiah tears his robes and weeps.  Josiah realizes that his nation is incurring the wrath of God because they and their ancestors have not lived in accordance with God’s commands found in this book.  

So Josiah inquires of the Lord by seeking the advice of Huldah, a prophetess.  Huldah informs Josiah that, just as Josiah suspected, disaster is awaiting the people of Judah because they have turned to worship other gods and disobeyed God’s commands.  Huldah also tells Josiah that because Josiah humbled himself in response to God’s Word, tearing his robes and weeping in God’s presence, his generation would not see the disaster that would come to the people of Judah in their lifetime.

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 20:1-21.  Let’s go!

2 Kings 20:1-3 (NIV) 
1  In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.” 
2  Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, 
3  “Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

On verses 1-3:  Hezekiah is suffering from a life-threatening illness.  Initially Isaiah brings a message to Hezekiah from the Lord saying that he must get ready to die.  Turning his face to the wall, Hezekiah prays, weeps, and pleads with God for mercy.

What can we learn from this?  Just as Hezekiah turned and faced a wall and then prayed, when you’re facing a wall — no matter how insurmountable it may seem — let your first instinct be to go to God in prayer.  Pour out your heart to God.  

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 19:1-19.  Let’s go!

2 Kings 19:1-2 (NIV) 
1  When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the LORD. 
2  He sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz.
 
On verses 1-4:   King Hezekiah’s officials deliver Assyria’s intimidating message to Hezekiah.  In response, Hezekiah does a wise thing: (1) he pours his heart out to God, spending time in His presence; and (2) he seeks counsel from the prophet Isaiah.  What can we learn from this?  Whenever you are under great pressure or receive bad news, the best thing you can do is to go to God and spend time in His presence.  If necessary, seek godly counsel too.
 
On verses 5-13:  Isaiah gives Hezekiah an encouraging, reassuring message from the Lord, promising that the Lord will cut down Assyria’s king Sennacherib.  Shortly after that, Hezekiah receives a letter from King Sennacherib trying to shake Hezekiah’s confidence in God’s Word and trying to show that Israel is no different from all the other nations that Assyria has laid to waste. 

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 18:1-16.  Let’s go!

On verses 1-16:  After Judah had been led by a handful of spiritually rotten, idol-worshiping kings, Hezekiah bursts onto the scene.  Hezekiah courageously breaks with his predecessors’ idol worshiping traditions.  He begins to use his authority as king of Judah to remove idolatry from his land.  Hezekiah also courageously stands up to the king of Assyria, even while Hezekiah’s counterpart Hoshea king of Israel was being defeated by Assyria.  When Assyria turns its attention to attacking and capturing all of Judah, Hezekiah stands in the gap and offers whatever we can to stop Judah from being completely taken over.

What can we learn from this?   Our world is in need of courageous leaders like Hezekiah — people who trust in the Lord no matter what, who aren’t afraid to break with the idol-worshiping traditions of those who came before them and those around them, and who will stand up to the enemy and fight to protect the people in their care.  Because of Hezekiah’s courage and how he hung onto God no matter what, verses 5-7 honour him with these words: