Eternally True

It was a great moment. The dedication of the temple of Solomon. Everything had been made to God’s specifications, and He was pleased, confirmed when His glory “filled the house of the LORD”(1 Kings 8:10-11).

But God reminded them that their focus should remain on Him. He promised great blessings to Solomon and future kings but only if they walked before Him “in integrity of heart and uprightness.” Only if they obeyed Him and kept His Word. And He warned of consequences if they served other gods and abandoned Him (1 Kings 9:1-9).

Hundreds of years later, God fulfilled these promises exactly during the reign of Zedekiah. The sin in their lives had gone too far. Through their actions, they had made their choice; as a result they had to be cast from His presence.

Even facing this crisis, Zedekiah refused to change. Did he just think he could ignore God? Or did he even know His Word?

He led his army against the Babylonians, but this failed and the army was scattered. He was captured and blinded. His sons were killed, and he was imprisoned in Babylon. The temple was burned, and its contents destroyed or taken to Babylon.

Painfully, Zedekiah learned that God is serious about His Word, fulfilling every promise, even hundreds of years later. That we pay a price when we disobey. As God made clear in the Ten Commandments, we must never worship other gods but always place Him first (Exodus 20).

Make sure that you remember these lessons. God desires to bless you, not judge you. Learn His promises. Declare them to be true for you. And always place Him first, making Him the foundation of your life.