Bible reading for Dec 28.
2 Chronicles 33.
"And every work that he undertook in the service of the house of God and in accordance with the law and the commandments, seeking his God, he did with all his heart, and prospered." (31:21)
BEGINNING OF THE END. Hezekiah was one of the last good kings of Judah in her independence. Under his reign there was a revival of true worship with great joy and generosity among the people. The Lord blessed Hezekiah in many ways, and Jerusalem was delivered miraculously from an Assyrian siege. In his latter years, even though spared from death, he succumbed to kingly pride in his dealings with envoys from Babylon. It would not be long before Judah would feel the oppressive weight of Babylonian rule, and finally, exile there. King Manasseh succeeds Hezekiah and has an unusually long reign of fifty-five years, despite much evil on his part. The reason for this appears to be that later in life Manasseh repented and sought the Lord (2 Pet 3:9). Manasseh's son Amon succeeds his father, but does evil, does not humble himself, and reigns for only two years. Josiah, Hezekiah's great-grandson, would be the last good king before the Babylonian exile.
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Revelation 19.
"Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war." (19:11)
THE END. The seven last angels pour out seven bowls of plagues (ch 16). We then read about "Babylon the great" and her fall (Rev 14:8; 16:19; 17:5; 18:2, 10, 21). This is a city and/or religious system that is in alliance with the beast (ch 17) which will finally be destroyed (ch 18). Many, especially in the first centuries of the Christian era, believed this to be Rome. In contrast to the great prostitute is the beautiful and righteous Bride for whom Christ comes (ch 19). He who entered Jerusalem on a lowly donkey will return to earth on a warhorse.
REFLECT. As we wind down this year, and conclude our reading of the Scriptures for 2020, we see more clearly than ever that the only hope for the human race is to be found in our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the good and righteous King that Israel longed for. He is the Faithful and True Lord who returns to planet Earth in the book of Revelation. Should we not join our voices and sing,
Thee, my own beloved Lord!
Every tongue thy name confessing,
Worship, honor, glory, blessing,
Brought to thee with glad accord --
Thee, my Master and my Friend,
Vindicated and enthroned,
Unto earth's remotest end
Glorified, adored and owned!"
Image credit. The painting above, "Christ and his Mother Studying the Scriptures", is by Henry Ossawa Tanner, ca. 1909. We are following the Robert Murray M'Cheyne (RMM) two-year reading schedule, as arranged by D. A. Carson. Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. One recommended resource is NETBible.org, a ministry of bible.org.
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