As we read the book of 2 Chronicles, we find many accounts of downfall of God’s people. We can examine the different circumstances under which they fail so that we will be careful not to fall into the same trap.
Listening to the advise of the ungodly.
22:2 Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother’s name was Athaliah, a granddaughter of Omri.
22:3 He too walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother encouraged him in doing wrong.
22:4 He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, as the house of Ahab had done, for after his father’s death they became his advisers, to his undoing.
We have to be careful who we get our influence from. If we mix with people with negative attitudes, it may be inevitable that we also develop these negative attitudes.
Over-reliance on spiritual mentor and not having a personal relationship with God.
24:2 Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the years of Jehoiada the priest.
24:17 After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them.
Some people go to church only because their spouse or close friend goes. If their relationship with this person falls apart, they will also stop going to church. These people do not have a personal relationship with God.
Failure to heed the advice of godly people.
24:19 Although the LORD sent prophets to the people to bring them back to him, and though they testified against them, they would not listen.
Is there some area of your life that you have been warned about by godly but you have refused to change?
Having the form but not the substance.
25:1 Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Jehoaddin; she was from Jerusalem.
25:2 He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not wholeheartedly.
The Living Bible says “He did what was right but sometimes resented it.”
When we are doing God’s work are you doing it willingly or grudgingly? If it is grudgingly, we will not be able to sustain it for long. We need to ask God to change us on the inside.
If we are doing our evangelism unwillingly we need to ask God to change us on the inside – by giving us more passion for the lost and boldness – so that we can evangelize wholeheartedly.
Idolatry
25:14 When Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods, bowed down to them and burned sacrifices to them.
25:16…So the prophet stopped but said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.”
Idolatry is anything we put in front of God. If we have to make a choice between two things and one of them concerns God, the other thing we choose is our idol.
Pride
26:16 But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.
Disappointment with God.
28:22 In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the LORD.
Putting our trust in other things.
28:23 He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus, who had defeated him; for he thought, “Since the gods of the kings of Aram have helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me.” But they were his downfall and the downfall of all Israel.