Some Ridicule And Some Humble Themselves

Some Ridicule And Some Humble Themselves

The nature of man from the beginning has changed little. What a wonder the world must have been through the eyes of the first generations of man. Following the expulsion from the garden, Adam and Eve bore two sons named Cain and Abel. In time Cain became angry with his brother and killed him (Genesis 4). When the Lord punished Cain he still showed a rebellious heart. He did not seek forgiveness but complained his punishment was too great. The mark placed on Cain was the sign of grace from God but of what value to Cain? He cared nothing for the word of God.

In the days of Noah the world had become so corrupt it would be destroyed by a repentant Creator (Genesis 6). Man refused to acknowledge the message of God and seeks his own wisdom. “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:20-21). The message of God would be ridiculed and rejected to their destruction. Only eight souls would humble themselves and seek the Lord (1 Peter 3:20).

The pattern of men has always been to seek their own wisdom and turn away from the only true hope given for salvation. During the days of Hezekiah, king of Judah, the people of God would follow the same path of rejection. Hezekiah sought to restore the worship of Israel to the pattern of the Law. It was agreed to proclaim throughout all Israel that everyone should come to Jerusalem to “keep the Passover to the Lord God of Israel at Jerusalem, since they had not done it for a long time in the prescribed manner” (2 Chronicles 30:5). Sending couriers throughout the land the message of worship was announced. The message was simple: return to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel; do not be like the rebellious fathers of old; “yield yourselves to the Lord”; worship in truth (2 Chronicles 30:6-10). The runners went from town to town announcing the call to worship.

Satan went ahead of the message and disheartened the spirit of the people. “But they laughed at them and mocked them. Nevertheless some from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. Also the hand of God was on Judah to give them singleness of heart to obey the command of the king and the leaders, at the word of the Lord” (2 Chronicles 30:10-12). How could the people of God – the chosen people – laugh and scorn the message of hope? They even went so far as to mock them with scorn and contempt. These were the holy people of God set apart from the promise to Abraham (Genesis 12). How sad but how common in the spirit of men today.

Preaching the good news of salvation is likened to trying to rescue someone from a burning house or sinking ship. It would seem incredulous that a person trapped in a burning house would refuse to hear the pleas of those trying to save them. The natural instinct of survival drives men to take drastic measures to save themselves in situations of peril. But the powerful persuasion of the devil is able to convince a drowning man that he is not in jeopardy or a person being consumed by fire that all is well. Hezekiah’s messenger had the right message and the only hope possible yet the people ‘laughed them to scorn and mocked them.”

So often a person can come to worship services and sit in the pew singing with the congregation and ‘going through the motions’ and yet has no interest or desire to make changes in their lives. The message of salvation is preached and they (in a figure) laugh to scorn the message. By their lives they mock the efforts to bring them to Christ and turn away from admonitions to effect change in their hearts. Like the soil of Jesus’ parable, the heart is the wayside or stony ground that bears no fruit (Matthew 13:4-6). In time they leave seeking their own way apart from the grace of Christ.

The message of Hezekiah’s day is still the same for the gospel today. There is a need to “return to the Lord” and seek His favor and blessings. Preaching the gospel is exhorting people to not repeat the history of those who rejected the Lord and became stiff-necked in heart. “Yield yourselves to the Lord” (2 Chronicles 30:8) is the same sermon preached by Paul in the Roman letter. “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God” (Romans 6:12-13).

Sadly the rejection of the people in Hezekiah’s day and in our world today is only a temporary rejection. While men will refuse to honor God now they will honor Him in death. For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God” (Romans 14:11; Isaiah 45:23). Those who laughed to scorn and mocked the messengers of Hezekiah are not laughing now nor mocking the word of God.

Within the people of God remained a faithful remnant who “humbled themselves” (2 Chronicles 30:11) and came to worship in accordance with the pattern of the Law. Many people responded to the call of repentance and “there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. Then the priests, the Levites, arose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard; and their prayer came up to His holy dwelling place, to heaven” (2 Chronicles 30:26-27). The rarified spirit of man lifted up by the singleness of heart in praise and worship to God filled the city and spread throughout the land. What a wonderful time for those who trusted in the Lord and rejoiced in the message of hope.

How special the time we spend together lifting up our voices in praise and worship seeking the favor of our benevolent Father. Paul and Silas filled the prison in Philippi with their worship showing us the pattern of faithfulness in a dark world (Acts 16). Trusting in the power of the Lord the people of God remain faithful to the pattern laid down by the early disciples. The restored worship of Hezekiah is a lesson in bringing people back to the one true God. What a joy is found in walking in the old paths of righteousness. The word of the Lord is enduring throughout the ages. With humble hearts we submit and yield our spirits to the will of God and He will bestow on us the riches of heaven. David writes, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord’” (Psalms 122:1). Let us all “rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice” (Philippians 4:4).