Daily Manna 19 October
KEY VERSE: “Then they brought out the king’s son, and put upon him the crown, and gave him the testimony, and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, God save the king.” – 2 Chronicles 23:11
1. And in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and took the captains of hundreds, Azariah the son of Jeroham, and Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, and Azariah the son of Obed, and Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, into covenant with him.
2. And they went about in Judah, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the chief of the fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.
3. And all the congregation made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said unto them, Behold, the king’s son shall reign, as the LORD hath said of the sons of David.
4. This is the thing that ye shall do; A third part of you entering on the sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be porters of the doors;
5. And a third part shall be at the king’s house; and a third part at the gate of the foundation; and all the people shall be in the courts of the house of the LORD.
6. But let none come into the house of the LORD, save the priests, and they that minister of the Levites; they shall go in, for they are holy; but all the people shall keep the watch of the LORD.
7. And the Levites shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whosoever else cometh into the house, he shall be put to death; but be ye with the king when he cometh in, and when he goeth out.
8. So the Levites and all Judah did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest had commanded, and took every man his men that were to come in on the sabbath, with them that were to go out on the sabbath; for Jehoiada the priest dismissed not the courses.
9. Moreover Jehoiada the priest delivered to the captains of hundreds spears, and bucklers, and shields, that had been king David’s, which were in the house of God.
10. And he set all the people, every man having his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple, along by the altar and the temple, by the king round about.
11. Then they brought out the king’s son, and put upon him the crown, and gave him the testimony, and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, God save the king.
Read yesterday’s Daily Manna here
Six years might look long and insufferable to tolerate the reign of a wicked ruler. The period might drag on to make one wonder whether it was not going to end. The perpetrators of evil in that dispensation would be emboldened to dig deep to consolidate their hold.
On the other hand, those looking for a change to displace the evil ruler would wonder if God would not intervene to put an end to the anguish unleashed on them. The murderous queen Athaliah had her will for six years of iniquitous reign. She trampled on those who came her way in the kingdom of Judah and appeared invincible.
But in the seventh year, the Lord stepped in and stirred the hearts of Jehoiada the priest who led the Levites, military chiefs and the people to terminate Athaliah’s rule. They secured the temple where the right heir to David’s throne was preserved. It was a perfect plan that had divine approval.
The young Joash was brought from hiding in the house of the Lord and crowned and anointed by Jehoiada and his sons, with the celebratory proclamation, “God save the king”. Unlike the case of the self-made queen Athaliah, his had the stamp of heaven. Whereas they rejected God’s way and timing, Jehoiada and Joash trusted in the infallibility of prophecy that God will never “cast away the seed of Jacob…” (Jeremiah 33:19-26).
The Lord has also preserved believers in Jesus Christ for a crowning ceremony in heaven after our time here on earth. We must tarry in patience, faith, holiness, selfless service in His kingdom and in soul-winning in expectation of that great day.
His promise is that He will return for us one day. He honoured His word on David’s throne when there was a threat. He will certainly fulfil His promise to crown us also as we serve Him faithfully, bearing His cross.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: After the cross comes the crown.
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 56-60
Thanks for reading Today’s Daily Manna – Preserved For The Crown – by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi.
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Daily Manna 19 October 2020 Devotional
