How to turn a curse into a blessing
Contents
♡♥♡ How to turn a curse into a blessing / 2 Chronicles 34:22-28
***Introduction
As you read the Bible, have you thought about what is “the most pleasing element in the heart of God”? And one more thing, what is ‘the element that God hates the most in the human heart’?
It actually happened in England. There was once an eccentric emperor who was a king but never wore a crown. This is King Canute (1014-1035). Emperor Kanut didn't want his servants to praise him too much, so one day he had the throne moved to the beach. As time went on, the tide rushed into the beach. The king stood up resolutely and said to the rushing waters, "Sea, stop!" and ordered. But the tide continued to flow toward the throne. He gave the same command several times, but the waves rushed in mercilessly, and half of the throne was submerged. Eventually, the emperor was pushed by the waves and fell from his throne.
At this time, Emperor Kanut looked around the ministers and said, “Have you seen it? I am nothing Power is in God, and he is the only one you can trust.” And it is said that the crown was hung on the cross of Jesus that day, and the crown was never worn again.
There have been kings in many peoples and countries since the creation of the world, but I think there is no such king. This is ‘humility’ as a powerful emperor of a powerful country. In Isaiah 57:15, God said, “Thus says he that is supreme and exalted, who dwells forever, and whose name is holy, that I dwell in the high and holy place, and that I may revive the spirit of those who are contrite and humble in heart.” . The people who God gives life to and multiplies the spirits are “those who are humble in heart.” Jesus also said, “Happy are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” He said that the poor in spirit, that is, the humble, inherit the kingdom of God.
Let's find James 4:6 together. “But he gives more grace, and therefore it is said, ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’”
We will see through the text that this statement is true. In this text, God's words about Josiah, the 16th king of Judah, are recorded. At the time of King Josiah's reign, Judah's fate was already on the decline. After the northern Israel fell to the Assyrians in 721 B.C. due to their sins against God, God's chastisement was approaching for Judah in the southern part as well. God decided to punish Judah for the great sins of Manasseh, the 14th king, Amon, the 15th king, and the people.
After Josiah became king, he removed idols, repaired the temple, and restored the priesthood. And while repairing the temple, he found the book of the law, and the moment he heard God's law, the king tore his clothes. It was an expression of contrition. The king immediately sent the priests, the scribes, and the king's bodies to Huldah, your prophetess. It was to ask God what to do with the prophet through the prophet regarding the word of God that he discovered.
God's answer is recorded in verses 24-28, the text we read. To summarize God’s answer, ‘God will bring all the curses written in the law on Judah because of the iniquity of Judas. But I will show kindness to King Josiah, who showed his humility by tearing his clothes and weeping after hearing God’s word about Judah’s chastisement, so that he will not see any calamity.’ In other words, Josiah's humility turned a cursed plague into a blessing.
God's will of chastisement due to Judah's deep sinfulness could not be changed by any human action. God's will was firm. Although King Josiah destroyed the idols, repaired the temple, restored the priesthood, and repented with humility for fear of God's word, God's will did not change. However, he showed special grace to Josiah, who feared God with humility.
This is the power of a humble heart. For those who humble themselves before God and fear and revere God's will, God has even changed the punishment of curses into blessings.
As many of you have felt, it is not always easy to humble yourself and be humble. It's even harder to be humble, especially when it comes to people you think you're inferior to, or things that seem insignificant. That is why God appreciates the humble heart and gives him special grace.
One of the famous tenor singers from Italy is Enrico Caruso (1873-1921). With a sweet voice, and with a lot of hard work and a wide range of voices, he gained world fame, holding the record of appearing 607 times at the Metropolitan Theater in New York alone. Even so, he sang without hesitation in any place, anywhere, and was often teased by people as “a person with no self-esteem.”
One day, while walking in the city, he met an old friend. The two went into a restaurant, where there were already many customers. As the two asked for food, the waitress recognized him and shouted into the kitchen. “Mister Chef! The tenor singer, Mr. Caruso, is here.” When the waiter's words ran out, the chef immediately ran to him. Then he greeted me in a very polite manner. “I did not expect to see you here. I have always wished to hear the teacher's songs in person,” said the chef. Caruso said very easily, “Then let me hear from you right now.” "really? How easy is it to listen to the songs of a world-famous singer like you? But now I’m wearing a cooking suit, what do I do?” He said he was very sorry. “That’s fine too. Don't worry in the slightest.” He immediately started singing.
His beautiful voice resounded throughout the dining hall. When the song ended, all the guests knew he was Caruso and gave him a round of applause for his beautiful melody. The chef was even more thrilled. After a while, the meal began and when a friend asked Caruso why he was singing like that everywhere, he replied: “He said he wished to hear my song. Moreover, isn't that chef an artist who makes delicious dishes to please others? If you sing a song for an artist, why should you be so stingy?”
It may seem unexpected, but there are some people who don't want humility because it's useless. People view humility as a weakness. So they don't want to admit their mistakes or ask for forgiveness. Teaching our children to ‘do not be discouraged’ is also a dangerous teaching that ignores humility.
Matthew 11:28-30 tells us that humility is the character of Jesus. “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden. I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart. Then you will find rest for your hearts, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
We can learn the meaning of humility through Jesus. Jesus focused everything on the will of God the Father. Every word you teach and the miracles you give are all dependent on God the Father. In John 8:28, Jesus said, “After you have lifted up the Son of Man, you will know that I am He, and that I myself do nothing, but speak these things as the Father taught me.” Humility is acknowledging God in all things and conforming ourselves to God's will.
Another thing is Philippians 2:5-8. “Have this heart in you. the mind of Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider equality with God to be robbery, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human form, and being found in human form, humbled himself and humbled himself until death. He became obedient, even the death of the cross.” This is self-deprecating, life-threatening loyalty.
God's reward for humility is 'exaltation'. It is only when God exalts us that we can truly be exalted. Gone are the days when humility was a virtue. It is said that now is the time to actively reveal and promote oneself. However, no matter how the times change, God's point of view does not change. I pray that all of us will become humble in God's eyes and become saints who receive God's grace that transcends circumstances.