The Plan

The Plan

Learning about God's Plan for Salvation at South Shore Trinity Lutheran Church

Week 28 – Judah: Josiah trusts in God but his sons fall away

When we talk about God and His plan of salvation we often confuse God’s patience and repeated calls to repentance with His not caring about sin. Such a conclusion would be a mistake because God hates sin and the consequences of sin are terrible and eternal. That is why God repeatedly tries to call all people back to him. His plan has never been to catch as many people as He can doing wrong and condemn them for it. He certainly gets no joy out of condemning anyone. Instead His plan is to patiently call all people to repent of their sins and to send His Son into the world to die for those sins. If people still prefer to go their own way, God reluctantly will grant them their disastrous wish.

            King Josiah, whom we will read about this week, heard God’s patient call to turn away from false gods and he answered that call not just with words but with his actions. Indeed, Josiah is one of the greatest examples of repentance found in the Bible. His family and the rest of Judah on the other hand are another story. As soon as Josiah is dead they go right back to worshiping false gods and doing the things which God had expressly forbidden. Through the prophet Jeremiah, whose warnings we will read this week as well, God continues to call them back just as He did their father but they don’t listen. What they don’t realize is that just because God is very patient, does not mean He will put off punishment forever. Amazingly, even when God threatens judgment, He continues to pledge that He will not forget His people or His promise to send a Savior. A Savior who, as we will see on Sunday, will issue in a new covenant. This new covenant will not rely on Israel’s or our ability to keep it but on God’s faithfulness.

Week 27– Judah: Hezekiah, Isaiah and Sennacherib

Many Christians have mistakenly believed that being a Christian means that they will live a life free from trouble. As a result their faith has been rattled when problems come into their lives. However, the Bible shows us that often the exact opposite is true. Because of our sinful actions, because of the sinful actions of others and because Satan is actively trying to destroy us, bad things will come into our lives. The question then becomes; how do we, as God’s people, handle those troubles and problems? Do we allow those troubles to tear us away from God or do we let them draw us closer to God as we look to Him for deliverance and strength.

            This week we will read about King Hezekiah, a king whom the Bible says was second only to David in his faithfulness. But being faithful didn’t keep Hezekiah from experiencing problems. While King Hezekiah reigned over Judah the nation of Assyria attached and laid siege to Jerusalem. The key to this account is in how King Hezekiah handled the evil that came his way. He prepared for the war and diligently tried to find other solutions but through it all he trusted in God to save him. A trust that was rewarded in a spectacular way.

Week 26– Judah: Manasseh and Josiah

Just like Israel, the nation of Judah’s relationship with the Lord was one of extreme highs and lows. One year they would have a king who would cleanse the temple and begin leading the people back to God and the next they would have a king who would do everything possible to anger God and lead the people away from Him. Even though Judah was the definition of inconsistency when it came to showing devotion to God, God remained the definition of faithfulness when it came to them. When the nation of Judah listened to God’s call to return to Him, He rewarded their repentance with forgiveness. When they turned away He called them back again and again. Even when He punished them, He always did it with the goal of returning the nation to Him.