Yet The Lord Warned (2 Kings 17:13)

 


Wednesday, 12 November, 2025


Psalm 31

2 Kings 17:1-20

Matthew 23:16-28


Observance: Charles Simeon, priest and evangelist (d. 1836)


Yet The Lord Warned (2 Kings 17:13)


Yet the Lord warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, in accordance with all the Law that I commanded your fathers, and that I sent to you by my servants the prophets.”


We are way past the feast of Pentecost at the moment, and are getting ready to prepare ourselves for Advent. None the less, it is always a good time to reflect on the wonderful gift of God the Holy Spirit, and his presence within us.


The example of the Israelites – from their liberation from Egyptian slavery, to their exile by the Assyrians – is recorded for us so that we can see ourselves in them, and see how Christ worked with them, and see how Christ therefore works with us. And today we get this wonderful blend of the tragedy of human evil, and the goodness of God.


The goodness of God is plain for all to read: first, he sent his Law through Moses. In plain black and white, God has given us the difference between right and wrong, between love and hate.


Then, because the Law was ignored, God continually sent prophets to remind the people of all that he had said and done in the past, and to warn them about the dangerous path they were taking through their devil-worship and political chicanery.


And so while we read how the story of their nation ended, we also ought to think about how our story is continuing: we have the Law and the Prophets written down for us in our Bible. We also have God the Holy Spirit – a direct line of communication between our soul and our Creator.


How often do we take advantage of the fact that God has come so close to us, to be our guide, guardian and friend?


O Holy Spirit, God and Lord, gift of the Father and of the Son to be our Advocate and Guide: abide with us always, that we may always heed your call to return to the loving righteousness of our Saviour Jesus Christ.

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