“And the Lord said,
“Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this
is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld
from them”. Genesis 11:5-6
On 20th July, 2015, my siblings along with Justina and I
gathered at my sister’s home in Amuwo-Odofin area of Lagos State to pray.
This was the second time we had such a prayer meeting; the first
was in my house. I arrange these meetings because I recognise the need for corporate
prayers and the covenant power of agreement. There is nothing we cannot achieve
when we do things in unity.
Before we went into a time of intercession, I shared a short
exhortation with them.
Using the lives of the Kings of Israel, I taught them the
importance of transmitting godly values to our children and also ensuring that
we imbibe the godly values our parents held.
The importance of this transmission is important. Living a
godly live is a beautiful thing but sometimes, you also need to understand the
place of intercession for your children and also the need to learn some lessons
from your parents if your parents are of the faith. My lesson was based on the
life of King Hezekiah.
How did King David, the predecessor of Hezekiah, handle adversaries?
“Then David said to the
Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But
I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies
of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will
deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you.
And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the
birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know
that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know
that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the
battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.” 1
Sam 17 45-47.
David knew no chill. He knew that armed with the spirit of
God, he could approach any adversary and victory was certain. This was the
first battle with a man that the bible records David having. David was in his
youth at this time, he wasn't even a king. Bible history puts David at about 15
years old at this time.
What of Hezekiah?
Hezekiah became King when he was 25 years old. He was already
a man. The bible records that Hezekiah loved God…
“And he did what
was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father
David had done”. 2 Kings 18:3
But did he learn how
to handle adversity?
“And in the fourteenth
year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the
fortified cities of Judah and took them. Then Hezekiah king of Judah sent
to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong; turn away from
me; whatever you impose on me I will pay.” And the king of Assyria assessed
Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of
gold. So Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found
in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king’s
house. At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the
doors of the temple of the Lord, and from the pillars which
Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria” 2
Kings 18 14-16
Where did Hezekiah learn this method of handling adversity?
There is most definitely a disconnect and a trans-generational gap between
David and Hezekiah. Somehow, the values and character of the progenitor were
not carried on by the offspring.
Now Hezekiah didn't have a good role model or father figure
to show him how to deal with issues. He didn't learn at the feet of great men
such as King David so not long afterwards, he goofed again:
“At that time
Berodach-Baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a
present to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been sick. And
Hezekiah was attentive to them, and showed them all the house of his
treasures—the silver and gold, the spices and precious ointment, and
all his armory—all that was found among his treasures. There was nothing
in his house or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them. Then
Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah, and said to him, “What did these men
say, and from where did they come to you?” So Hezekiah said, “They came from a
far country, from Babylon.” And he said, “What have they seen in your house?” So
Hezekiah answered, “They have seen all that is in my house; there is
nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them.” Then Isaiah said to
Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord: ‘Behold, the days are
coming when all that is in your house, and what your fathers have
accumulated until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be
left,’ says the Lord. ‘And they shall take away some of your sons who
will descend from you, whom you will beget; and they shall be eunuchs in the
palace of the king of Babylon.” – 2 Kings 12-18
Now what was Hezekiah’s response to this prophecy which
threatened his offspring?
“So Hezekiah said to
Isaiah, “The word of the Lord which you have spoken is good!”
For he said, “Will there not be peace and truth at least in my days?” 2 Kings
20:19.
WRONG!
How did his Predecessor David react when a prophet informed
him of his sins and how did he handle a prophecy against his offspring?
“So David said to
Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David,
“The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not
die. However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to
the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also who
is born to you shall surely die.” 2 Sam 12 13-14.
“David therefore
pleaded with God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night
on the ground. So the elders of his house arose and went to him,
to raise him up from the ground. But he would not, nor did he eat food with
them” 2 Sam 12:16-17
That how King David reacted when he realized that his seed
was going to fall under the prophetic hammer.
Hezekiah goes on to produce King Manasseh. Do you know what
the Bible records concerning Manasseh?
“Moreover Manasseh shed
very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another,
besides his sin by which he made Judah sin, in doing evil in the sight of
the Lord” -2 Kings 21:16
Friends, it is important that we teach our children the way
of the Lord, so that they understand how to deal with situations and how to run
back to God even when they lose it. Sometimes when a child doesn't remember the
way his father handled matters in God, in his ignorance he devises his own
means. He shies away from a fight and he fails to prepare a way for his
children.
And then along with my siblings and my wife, we called upon
the name of the lord.
“Train up a child in the way he should go, And when
he is old he will not depart from it”. Proverbs
22:6
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on twitter @june7project and do drop a comment to share your thoughts.
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