Some Evidences of Backsliding

Some Evidences of Backsliding

They have also shut up the doors of the vestibule, put out the lamps, and have not burned incense or offered burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel.

2 Chronicles 29:7

Hezekiah ascended to the throne of the Southern Kingdom at a time when things were at a low ebb spiritually.  Ahaz had preceded Hezekiah and had, according to 2 Chronicles 28:23 ‘sacrificed to the gods of Damascus’ and that, ‘they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.’  When Hezekiah assessed the situation which he had inherited, one of the first things to which he gave his attention was the house of God.  He said that the ‘fathers’ had ‘trespassed’ and ‘shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place unto the God of Israel.’

These were the items which he listed in defining the extent of Israel’s spiritual decline.  I believe we can make use of this text as a means of examining ourselves to see the extent to which we ourselves have perhaps backslidden.

Hezekiah remarked that they had ‘shut up the porch.’  In effect, they had ceased to worship.  Is it so with us?  Even though we may still go through the outward motions of religion, have we in our hearts ‘shut up the porch’ where we used to worship?

They had also ‘put out the lamps;’ that is, there was no more outwardly shining light.  Has our spiritual condition declined to the extent that we no longer have an outwardly shining testimony?

Beyond this, they had ‘not burned incense.’ Where has our prayer life gone?  Remember the days when from our hearts there arose a continual cloud of the incense of prayer?

Then there was the mater of the burnt offerings; they also had ceased.  What has become of your emphasis upon the Person and work of Christ?  Has is been relegated to an almost invisible place?  Let us take stock of our spiritual condition today and see if we have need to reopen the temple of our hearts.

As hard as it may be for us to ask ourselves these questions, and even harder to honestly answer them, we have Christ to consider. Here is The One Who, above all others, has made all the difference in our lives, and in our eternities. His Love for us yet burns with the holy fire of His Own kindling. He yet ‘stands at the door and knocks,’ with the patient promise of communion. He is passionate about fellowship with us. All of the aforementioned means of grace are still available to us, not one has He withdrawn. Behold, The Warm and Waiting Lover of our souls. In the light of these things, let us today hasten to return to Him with melted hearts. He will, according to His Own promise, ‘restore unto us the years that the locust has eaten.’  Now is always a good time to return to Our Redeemer.

Our Loving and Gracious Savior,

We come to you with hearts full of repentance, and desire.

Meet us at our point of deepest need today.

Draw us, once again, into fellowship with You.

Where the Bush is Burning

Tomm Tice