Remember God's lovingkindness

2 Chronicles 24:²⁰ Then the Spirit of God clothed Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, and he stood above the people, and said to them, "Thus says God, 'Why do you break the commandments of the LORD, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, he has forsaken you.'" ²¹But they conspired against him, and by command of the king they stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the LORD. ²²Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness that Jehoiada, Zechariah’s father, had shown him, but killed his son. And when he was dying, he said, "May the LORD see and avenge!"

Jehoiada was the priest that restored Joash to the throne when Athaliah was wickedly ruling. He also counseled Joash wisely. But once he passed away, Joash forgot all Jehoiada's kindness and had his son, Zechariah, stoned. Zechariah was annointed by the Lord as his father was, but when he was rebuking Joash, the king did not heed the wisdom and instead conspired against him.

This passage reminds me of how Jesus was unrighteously put to death. Just as Joash forgot about Jehoiada, the people of God had forgotten God's loving kindness and had His son, Jesus, executed. However, there are key differences: 1) Jesus willingly came to be sacrificed by the wicked conspiricies of sinners; 2) God will not avenge Jesus' death because Jesus paid the penalties of death for those sinners in full. No prophet could ever satisfy the wages of sin and that is why God sent His only begotten Son, who is fully pure and sinless, to redeem us from our own wickedness. What I take away from this story in 2 Chronicles is that the Old Testament has concepts, themes, and prophecies that point to the coming of Christ. I can read the Old Testament and gain wisdom to understand the New Testament. People killing the son of someone who has only done good to you, was not a new idea. When we look at what happened to Jesus, we shouldn't think "That's impossible! Why would God's chosen people kill His own Son?" Well, it had already happened back then. That shows how cold hearted and stiff necked God's people already were. What I can also take away from this is that I should always remember the loving kindness of the Lord and extend that to others, even if they say things I don't want to hear. I must not forget the kindness of my Heavenly Father, who sent His only begotten Son to die for everyone's sins. I am not to judge which persons Jesus died for because it is written, that God so loved the world. I must extend kindness back, and not exchange wickedness for wickedness.

Heavenly Father, thank You for teaching me. Lord, forgive me for sometimes thinking the Old Testament is irrelevant or boring. Please keep me engaged in Your Word. Transform me completely, Lord. I surrender myself to You. Lord, show me how to repay all people with kindness. May I never forget the grace You have extended to me and allow me to share that with others. I love You. I depend on You for all my strength today. I pray all this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.