Few things irk us more than seeing someone getting away with something. “THAT’S NOT RIGHT!” we shout when we see a cheater not getting caught. We fume when a speeder blows past us on the highway. We boil when we hear of the distress caused when a child support order is ignored.
Read More justice, peace, right, judgmentThe parallels in this oracle between God and his people are strikingly similar to those between a parent and a child. The warning is familiar. We can easily imagine a parent saying, “Things are going very well for you around here and could get even better. The only thing that could make things go off-track is for you to violate Family Rule #1 – Show Respect.
Read More obedience, love, first commandmentWhole hearted Hezekiah distinguished himself by his single minded obedience. That obedience required vigorous opposition to the entrenched practices of his day. One widespread activity was the worship of many gods. Perhaps this had a pragmatic component, rooted in fear.
Read More obedience, success, righteousnessThe decisions made in the first days set the trajectory for a new leader and send a signal to all. Hezekiah’s priorities were proclaimed in the first month of his reign. He opened and restored the doors to the temple and called on the priests and Levites to make it functional once again.
Read More direction, faithfulness, leadership, reformChange expert John Kotter claims that major transformation initiatives most often fail because the critical first step in the process is skipped or executed poorly. The first step is “Establishing a sense of urgency.” (1) In other words, get people’s attention. Make them see why it is in their best interests to commit to the change.
Read More transformation
The people of Judah were living in perilous times. The northern kingdom was occupied territory and many had been uprooted and relocated far away. The south was a vassal state of Assyria, and the people there had only to look north to see how things could get gravely worse.
Read More character, leadership, difficult times