Text: 2 Kings 20:1-23:37

This evening we invite you to gather with your Calvary Chapel family in the Holy Grounds Café or on Calvaryinv.com or Facebook and Youtube (Calvary Inverness), as we continue our Wednesday evening Through The Bible series with a message I’ve entitled- “Life Lessons from Kings”.
In chapter 20 when King Hezekiah grows sick and near death, Isaiah comes to him and tells him that God says it's his time to die. Hezekiah weeps and prays to God, asking him to remember his service and faithfulness. God sends a message to Isaiah, saying that he'll add fifteen years onto Hezekiah's life. And God does just what He promised. When he 15 years later, his son Manasseh succeeds him.
In chapter 21 Manasseh starts reigning over Judah at the age of twelve and continues for fifty-five years. Unlike his father, he's a bad king. He rebuilds the high places that Hezekiah had demolished, builds altars to foreign gods in the Temple, and brings back the worship of sacred poles and of Baal. Manasseh leads the people to do worse than the nations that preceded them in the region. And all of this will cost God’s people dearly.

Finally, in chapters 22& 23 we see a glimmer of hope for God’s people in a young boy named Josiah. He starts reigning as an eight-year-old boy and rules for thirty-one years. Departing radically from the ways of his father and grandfather, Josiah becomes a great and righteous king, doing everything that David himself would have done. In the eighteenth year of his reign, Josiah sends his secretary Shaphan to ask the priest
Hilkiah to use the donations made at the Temple for repairs on it. Hilkiah tells Shaphan that he's found "the book of the law" (probably a version of Deuteronomy), and gives it to Shaphan, who reads it. Shaphan then reads Josiah the book of the law they've discovered. Josiah is distressed, realizing how far they've departed from the Laws of Moses. He tears his clothes. Josiah gathers together the elders of Judah and leads them, along with all the inhabitants of Judah and all the priests and prophets to the Temple. Josiah promises God, in front of everyone, to fully follow the commandments God has provided for them, and he makes a covenant.
All the people join in with the covenant. Josiah quickly sets about destroying the places of idol worship. He takes all the vessels made for Baal, Asherah, and other deities out of the Temple. Then he burns them.Still in the eighteenth year of his reign, Josiah orders—in accordance with the recently discovered law book—the celebration of Passover. It's the first time the holiday has been observed since the days of Moses.
Just like we saw last week, these chapters show us many lessons that God wants us to remember. Please pray for our time together that we hear from God’s Word and respond to the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. See you somewhere at Calvary.
Blessings,
Pastor Paul