Avoiding Disaster!

Reflection: Today we see two disasters that could have been avoided had the leaders listened to the voice of the Lord.  In Chronicles, we see despite a few good kings, king after king failing to listen to God’s voice through the prophets who had been sent. He sent messenger after messenger because he had pity on the place where His Name was supposed to dwell.  But it says in the text at a certain point, “there was no remedy.” 

Paul warns the people on the ship that disaster awaits them if they continued their current course.  But the centurion listened to the pilot and the owner of the boat and when they met the impending storm our passage ends today with the words, “we finally gave up all hope of being saved”.  Of course the “we” represents not only Paul, but the writer of the two volume companion of Luke/Acts, Paul’s companion, Luke.

In the case of Judah, they were in captivity for 70 years according to the prophecy given by Jeremiah and then King Cyrus issued a decree that the faithful remnant could come back to a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem. We see the irony of the earthly king, who claimed to have all the power in the world, listening to God and honoring God’s purpose to bring His people back.  It reminds me of the saying, “God works often in spite of us!” 

But the bottom line is God wants to work with us.  His plan is that we would learn to hear His voice and obey.  God wants it to go well with us and doesn’t enjoy disciplining us any more than a parent disciplines their child.  And we know that even when we obey we will have trouble in this life but God is preparing for us a kingdom which will have no end.  Until then, God calls us to trust in Him and hear His voice through His Word and through other trusted brothers and sisters in Christ who God speaks through.  Is there an area of your life or an issue that God has been trying to get your attention on to avoid a potential disaster?  Pray that you might hear God’s voice and take the necessary steps of correction to get in line with God’s will, remembering God’s cares for you!

Psalm 31:10-20 New International Version (NIV)

10 My life is consumed by anguish

    and my years by groaning;

my strength fails because of my affliction,

    and my bones grow weak.

11 Because of all my enemies,

    I am the utter contempt of my neighbors

and an object of dread to my closest friends—

    those who see me on the street flee from me.

12 I am forgotten as though I were dead;

    I have become like broken pottery.

13 For I hear many whispering,

    “Terror on every side!”

They conspire against me

    and plot to take my life.

14 But I trust in you, Lord;

    I say, “You are my God.”

15 My times are in your hands;

    deliver me from the hands of my enemies,

    from those who pursue me.

16 Let your face shine on your servant;

    save me in your unfailing love.

17 Let me not be put to shame, Lord,

    for I have cried out to you;

but let the wicked be put to shame

    and be silent in the realm of the dead.

18 Let their lying lips be silenced,

    for with pride and contempt

    they speak arrogantly against the righteous.

19 How abundant are the good things

    that you have stored up for those who fear you,

that you bestow in the sight of all,

    on those who take refuge in you.

20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them

    from all human intrigues;

you keep them safe in your dwelling

    from accusing tongues.

2 Chronicles 36

36 1 And the people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and made him king in Jerusalem in place of his father.

Jehoahaz King of Judah

2 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. 3 The king of Egypt dethroned him in Jerusalem and imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 4 The king of Egypt made Eliakim, a brother of Jehoahaz, king over Judah and Jerusalem and changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. But Necho took Eliakim’s brother Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt.

Jehoiakim King of Judah

5 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord his God. 6 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked him and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon. 7 Nebuchadnezzar also took to Babylon articles from the temple of the Lord and put them in his temple there. 8 The other events of Jehoiakim’s reign, the detestable things he did and all that was found against him, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah. And Jehoiachin his son succeeded him as king.

Jehoiachin King of Judah

9 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months and ten days. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. 10 In the spring, King Nebuchadnezzar sent for him and brought him to Babylon, together with articles of value from the temple of the Lord, and he made Jehoiachin’s uncle, Zedekiah, king over Judah and Jerusalem.

Zedekiah King of Judah

11 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. 12 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord his God and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke the word of the Lord. 13 He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him take an oath in God’s name. He became stiff-necked and hardened his heart and would not turn to the Lord, the God of Israel. 14 Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful, following all the detestable practices of the nations and defiling the temple of the Lord, which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.

The Fall of Jerusalem

15 The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. 16 But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy. 17 He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians, who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and did not spare young men or young women, the elderly or the infirm. God gave them all into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. 18 He carried to Babylon all the articles from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the Lord’s temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. 19 They set fire to God’s temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed everything of value there. 20 He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his successors until the kingdom of Persia came to power. 21 The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah. 22 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:

23 “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:

“‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up, and may the Lord their God be with them.’”

Acts 27:9-20

9 Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement. So Paul warned them, 10 “Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.” 11 But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. 12 Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest.

The Storm

13 When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. 14 Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. 15 The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure, 17 so the men hoisted it aboard. Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Because they were afraid they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. 18 We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. 19 On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.

The light of the moon will be like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold on the day when the Lord binds up the injuries of his people, and heals the wounds. Isaiah 30:26

We want each one of you to show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope to the very end. Hebrews 6:11

Giver of light and hope, keep your children safe as we wait for the promised day of healing. May we faithfully do your will, eagerly anticipating that day when all earth will rejoice in your presence. Amen.