God’s Story Is Our Story: From Genesis To Jesusনমুনা

Reflecting on the last week: Josiah’s reforms came too late. These verses reminds us that while God always hears our repentance and always forgives our sins, he does not always remove the direct consequences of them. Judah was so recalcitrant in her idolatry and injustice that even her finest king, Josiah, could not undo the consequences of past action: destruction and exile. The message to us is clear. Repent and call on God’s mercy before our sin becomes so destructive that its consequences overtake us. Just as Israel returned to God in exile, there is always hope that we too will turn back to God when our sin catches up with. But why wait until that point? God is patient with us in our sin, not so that we continue to the point of self-destruction, but so that we return to him in repentance before things get too bad (2 Pet. 3:9). So let’s learn from the Israelites and take advantage of God’s patience in the most faithful way possible: repent and believe.