1 In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah the son of Amaziah, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 He was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. 3 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. 4 Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. 5 And the Lord touched the king, so that he was a leper to the day of his death, and he lived in a separate house. And Jotham the king’s son was over the household, governing the people of the land. ~ 2 Kings 15:1-5
Doing what is right in the eyes of the LORD only matters if you refuse to allow sin to abound around you. King Azariah had done a lot of good things. He followed God. He read his Bible. He prayed. But it wasn’t enough. Why? Because he supported sin. Now, you may be wondering where in those verses it says that King Azariah supported sin. You support it with your silence if you don’t speak out against something. When We no longer try to correct others and instead only focus on ourselves, we are now endorsing sin.
Maybe King Azariah was like many in the Church today and didn’t feel it was his place to judge anyone. Maybe he believed in tolerance and acceptance above all else, so he allowed the people in the land to live in sin without any form of correction. But God tells us that, at the very least, we must warn those who are openly living in sin. That we must warn those that are supporting sin. And if we don’t, and they die in their sin, then their blood will be on our hands. We, as Christians, are the only ones on earth that know the Truth of God and His Word. We are the only ones that have the light in us to break the darkness of this world. So, how can we live our lives for God and expect to be blessed by Him when we watch our friends, neighbors, and nation plummet deeper and deeper into darkness without saying a single word?
King Azariah was struck with leprosy because of his lack of stance on right and wrong. Even though he remained king, he remained king separated. At the end of days, at the final Judgment, many will stand before Jesus asking how Jesus could reject them after all the good they had done in His name. Jesus tells them that because they didn’t minister to others, they were wicked and would be thrown into Hell to be separated from God for all eternity. What good is it to have a crown and all people think you’re so nice and wonderful if you are separated from God in the process?
LORD God, please help us not only to worry about whether or not we are saved but whether or not those around us are saved. Give us the courage to stand up for righteousness. Please give us the wisdom, patience, and gentleness to correct others in love—help us to be brave like all who have walked before us, who stood for righteousness and truth. Guide and lead us in all we do. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.
Similar Content
