2 Kings 18:9-18 (NRSV)
Transgressing the covenant
In the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of King Hoshea son of Elah of Israel, King Shalmaneser of Assyria came up against Samaria, besieged it, and at the end of three years, took it. In the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of King Hoshea of Israel, Samaria was taken. The king of Assyria carried the Israelites away to Assyria, settled them in Halah, on the Habor, the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes, because they did not obey the voice of the Lord their God but transgressed his covenant - all that Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded; they neither listened nor obeyed.
In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, King Sennacherib of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. King Hezekiah of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, "I have done wrong; withdraw from me; whatever you impose on me I will bear." The king of Assyria demanded of King Hezekiah of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king's house. At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the temple of the Lord, and from the doorposts that King Hezekiah of Judah had overlaid and gave it to the king of Assyria. The king of Assyria sent the Tartan, the Rabsaris, and the Rabshakeh with a great army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. They went up and came to Jerusalem. When they arrived, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is on the highway to the Fuller's Field. When they called for the king, there came out to them Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was in charge of the palace, and Shebnah the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph, the recorder.
DEVOTION
I am struck by the words, "Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king's house."
Isn't it amazing and very sad, how our poor and sinful choices often cause us to "rob" God of the things that are rightfully His and lead us to invest in people and things that do not glorify God?
I am saddened by the many times that I have taken time, talent, and treasure and invested it in ways that do not lead to greater adoration of God and worship of Jesus.
It makes me even sadder when I recognize that all of us do this in little and big ways each and every day. It is the nature of sin and it makes me feel sorry.
Today, I want to encourage all of us to look at the "treasures" that God has entrusted to our care and pray about the manifold ways we can use them to help all of God's children be healthy, happy, holy, and whole on the earth until Jesus comes from heaven!
Let us pray:
Lord, please make us good and faithful stewards over the resources that you have entrusted into our care. May we not cast pearls before swine. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
INVITATION
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