{"id":1048,"date":"2021-10-15T08:03:09","date_gmt":"2021-10-14T22:03:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/david-watters\/?p=1048"},"modified":"2021-10-16T08:14:43","modified_gmt":"2021-10-15T22:14:43","slug":"building-a-godly-heritage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/david-watters\/2021\/10\/15\/building-a-godly-heritage\/","title":{"rendered":"Building a Godly Heritage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Bible Verses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

2 Kings 23:22-24 There had never been a Passover celebration like that since the day when the judges ruled in Israel, nor throughout all the years of the kings of Israel and Judah. But in the 18th year of Josiah\u2019s reign this Passover was celebrated to the Lord in Jerusalem. Josiah also got rid of the mediums and psychics, the household gods, the idols, and ever other kind of detestable practice, both in Jerusalem and throughout the land of Judah. Never before had there been a king like Josiah who turned to the Lord with ALL his heart and soul and strength, obeying all the laws of Moses. And there has never been a king like him since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2 Chron 35:21-22 King Neco of Egypt told Josiah, \u201cDo not interfere with God, who is with me, or he will destroy you.\u201d But Josiah refused to listen to Neco, to whom God had indeed spoken, and he would not turn back\u2026 the enemy archers hit King Josiah with their arrows\u2026 they brought him back to Jerusalem where he died.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2 Kings 23:31-32 Johaohaz, son of Josiah, was anointed king\u2026 he reigned for 3 months. He did what was evil in the Lord\u2019s sight, just as his ancestors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Acts 15:16-17 Amos 9:11-12 I will return and restore the fallen house of David. I will rebuild its ruins and restore it, SO THAT the rest of humanity might seek the Lord, including the Gentiles\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Devotional Thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What Josiah did was incredible. 2 Kings 23 expounds on the description from 2 Chronicles 34 of the detestable practices in Israel and Judah at the time. No wonder it took Josiah 10 years to go through the whole country and destroy it all. How could the nation have moved so far away from God?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And yet, even after all Josiah did in cleaning everything up, as soon as he died, his sons \u201cdid what was evil like, their ancestors did.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the lesson here? Somehow Josiah did not pass on a heritage of faith to his children. This should be a challenge to us to make sure we pass on a heritage of godliness to our children. It should be more than just \u201cdad\u2019s God\u201d or \u201cmom and dad\u2019s faith,\u201d we should praying for our children\u2019s faith to be their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interesting that in Acts 15 at the Jerusalem council, where Paul was defending gentile\u2019s getting saved, he quotes Amos, who said God acted the way he did toward Israel, SO THAT the rest of humanity might seek the Lord, including the gentiles. This should be true in our own homes. Because of our faith as parents, and our relationship with God, when we talk about the work of God in our lives and through our lives, Lord willing, it will cause our family, children, spouse, even parents, to seek the Lord… but also those who witness our lives, both inside and outside the church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prayer Outline<\/h2>\n\n\n\n