"Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, "This is what God says: 'Why do you disobey the LORD's commands? You will not prosper. Because you have forsaken the LORD, he has forsaken you.' " (2 Chronicles 24: 20, NIV)
It was just this week that I made a statement about God's hand of protection being removed from the United States. Earthquakes in California. Oil spill in the Gulf. National unemployment rate at over 9%. Natural disasters happening on a regular basis. How can God continue to bless a nation when, as a whole, we have turned our backs on Him? Why should He continue to bless us when so many lives are so far from Him?
Things have not really changed over the years. Things that happened during Biblical times are still happening today. They may appear to look differently, but "sin is sin", irregardless of whether it occurred back then or if it's happening in 2010. There were Godly kings; there were evil ones. People chose to serve God, or they served themselves. They worshiped Asherah poles and idols; we worship money and power.
The text today finds the people of Judah abandoning God, even though they had been blessed and living in prosperity. God wants to give them another chance before dispelling judgment, so he speaks through Zechariah. But, as a result, Zechariah is stoned to death. We can bring the words of life to those around us, but if they are unwilling to listen, we may feel as though "stones are being thrown" at us. We, as Christians, must pray on behalf of this nation like never before. However, justice, instead of blessings, will come if we don't adhere to God's Word.
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