2 Chronicles 35

(September 19, 2014)

                I read the close of this chapter with great interest, because something dawned on me as I read.  If we were to examine the prophets of the Old Testament of whom we have the most information and writing, it would be Isaiah and Jeremiah.  Both of these prophets had something in common – they wrote during a time when sympathetic and righteous kings presided over the land.  Hezekiah was a sponsor of Isaiah, and Josiah sponsored Jeremiah.

                The point of this is not to say that prophets require righteous kings (Elijah did just fine for himself, although little of his teachings remain).  But, rather, it is to point out that temporal leaders make a difference.  We have so much truth from this time period because the kings of this time period were devoted to the search for truth.  When we select our political leaders, it makes a big difference in the spiritual health of our community and our country.

                It isn’t determinative – we can still follow the Elijahs when they preach in the wilderness – but more will be saved if we have Josiahs and Hezekiahs in leadership rather than Ahabs.