2 Kings 21-22; Zephaniah 1-3; 2 Kings 23:1-25

Yahweh brought His chosen people out of slavery and into the land of promise. He fulfilled His promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The bounty of material blessing was poured out from heaven upon Solomon. Why? So that the people of God would reflect the glory of God. Yahweh’s purpose was always for His people to be a beacon for the world.

“I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.

Isaiah 42:6-8

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes all around, and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be carried on the hip. Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and exult, because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you.

Isaiah 60:1-5

It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD.

Isaiah 2:2-5

And, then there is this…

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 5:14-16

When recipients of grace treat all people with grace, Yahweh is glorified. When the people who have received mercy show mercy even when undeserved, the light shines in a dark world. When the children of the God of love display selfless compassion for all people, folks begin to wonder what (more accurately, “Who?”) compels them to act this way. In this manner, the mighty plan of God unfolds in history.

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

Philippians 2:12-16

It is such a wonderful thing when a plan works properly. What happens when one crucial component fails? Think about the engine in your car. Many moving parts, fluids and air from the outside are needed, and all must function as designed or the whole system breaks down. Now, try taking a finely crafted, well maintained Rolls Royce and add Red Bull to the gas tank and see what happens. You’ll soon have some very comfy leather seats to enjoy your stay on the side of the road.

So, what happens to the mighty plan of God when the people he redeems from the world are worse than the world around them?

Meet Manasseh. He “undid” the reforms of his father Hezekiah. He took on the abominations of the people God judged and sent Israel to overcome. As if these were not enough, he defiled the temple of Yahweh in Jerusalem by turning it into a pantheistic wonderland of idolatry. Within all of this, he was a murderous king who was worse than all who came before him. Nice “light”, Manasseh.

Meet Amon. Like father, like son.

When God’s people are conformed to the world, the engine of mercy breaks down. Everything else that Yahweh has set in place is still there and ready to function properly. Evil done by Christians does not annul the sacrifice of Jesus. When we are no longer light, but instead are an active part of the darkness, the world does not see Jesus in us. The love of God has not gone away, but the people of God have gone away.

We tend to think of our shortcomings and worldliness as victimless crimes hurting no one but ourselves. The reality is we have not only harmed self, we have failed to help others. My failure to shine as a light in the midst of darkness deprives others of a lighted pathway to Jesus.

Consider His nature.  Consider His ways.  Strive to love Him more!