God's judgments are delayed but not reversed the nation's heart

2 Kings 23:28-37

While Josiah was king, Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt went up to the Euphrates River to help the king of Assyria. King Josiah marched out to meet him in battle, but Necho faced him and killed him at Megiddo. Josiah’s servants brought his body in a chariot from Megiddo to Jerusalem and buried him in his own tomb. 

Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, just as his predecessors had done. Pharaoh Necho put him in chains at Riblah in the land of Hamath so that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and he imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 

Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years.  And he did evil in the eyes of the Lord, just as his predecessors had done.

God's judgments are delayed but not reversed the nation's heart is not changed by the king's reforms. Josiah dies in futile conflict with Pharaoh Necho, who was marching to join forces with Assyria after the fall of Nineveh, the Assyrian capital, to the Babylonians.

Why?

Josiah died because he tried to fight with Pharoh's army, but they just passed by to join Assyria. So it is his destination.

The next two kings of Juda are not good kings, their destinations were like other kings in Juda and more worse than before.

We worship the Lord and follow God's word, God's blessing with us, but when we made a big decision should ask the Lord, not by our courage or wisdom. My strength is relying on the Lord.

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約西亞站在巴比侖這邊。所以不讓埃及去幫助亞述。

人想要爭脫神的綑綁，卻要受其他的國家所綑綁，被黑暗勢力，私心所綑綁。其實神是要我們先讓神管理，走一條真正自由的路。

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How?

Keep my heart focused on the Lord in all of my life.