A Question of Priority | Previous Challenge Entry

how it works

TITLE: A Question of Priority | Previous Challenge Entry
By Elaine Hemingway
04/19/18
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Hezekiah, privileged king of Judah, had witnessed the work of Yahweh in the protection of his army when he was about to send them into battle against the forces of King Sennacherib of Assyria. Thousands of bodies were discovered on the ground outside the walls of Jerusalem after the Angel of the Lord gave victory, and through the prophet Isaiah promised that Sennacherib would never enter Jerusalem.

Hezekiah became ill and cried out to the Lord after being told by Isaiah that he would not survive. He asked for a reversal of God’s intention, and was granted another 15 years of life. What disasters were caused by that as the most wicked king in Israel’s history, Manasseh, was sired by Hezekiah in that time. But Hezekiah was unaware of that as he later allowed pride to be an instrument of temptation.

There came an impetuous idea, ill considered, and to prove a momentous mistake affecting history both into the immediate future and on into the following decades. The king was impressed by the recognition given to him by his visitors, who had come to congratulate him on his recovery. He showed them the whole of his treasury; all the gold and silver and precious jewels. Knowledge of that treasure was a key to its being taken to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar when the Israelites were taken into Exile.

But he wasn’t the first to make an impulsive decision that would prove disastrous in unexpected ways.

How would we have handled the dilemma of Moses, with countless numbers of the Children of Israel taxing his patience as they whined and moaned their way through the wilderness? Immaterial to them was them was the reality that they had brought their situation on themselves through their disobedience and unfaithfulness to the Lord God who had brought them safely out of captivity in Egypt. No doubt as Moses cried for patience, the Lord smiled as he allowed the problems of his charges to teach many lessons. The patience of Moses suffered though when the Israelites wanted water and Moses struck the rock at Horeb against the Lord’s instruction to speak to the rock, thus failing to give God the glory. It cost him his entry into the Promised Land.

I made a mistake this morning and cried out to the Lord knowing I had lost my cool. It wasn’t a major disruption that had caused my frustration but the One I Love and Care For who had taxed my patience. I only hope that I managed to avoid long term ramifications but I was reminded of Moses and Hezekiah and how easy it is in the heat of the moment to make a wrong decision. I need to remember my priorities.

For this very reason do your best to add goodness to your faith; to your goodness add knowledge; to your knowledge add self-control; to your self-control add endurance; to your endurance add godliness; to your godliness add Christian affection; and to your Christian affection add love. These are the qualities you need, and if you have them in abundance, they will make you active and effective in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(2 Peter 1:5-8)

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