Leaders must unify society for us to receive God's blessings

FRIDAY, JUNE 15: Today I want to take you to the delivery room of any hospital. A healthy baby has just been born into the world, nothing is amiss, and all vitals are fine.

Now take a look at the faces of the parents, and you will see the look of peace, love, joy, and contentment on their faces.

And what do they want for their child? They want the very same thing: peace, love, joy, and contentment. 

It is the hope of loving and caring parents that their son or daughter lives a life of peace.

That is no different to the desire or plan that the Heavenly Father has for His children. God desires that you live a peaceful life, which is why He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, as The Prince of Peace.

Hence, God is The Father of Peace, and as you are a child of God, He desires that you live in your inheritance of peace.

As you look at the text found in 2 Chronicles, the main issue was that the people were not at peace.

The different families of Israel were divided and therefore they had no desire to come together in unity.

Therefore, God could not bless, as He desired, because God’s blessing occurs in a place of unity.

30:1 And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover unto the Lord God of Israel.

2 For the king had taken counsel, and his princes, and all the congregation in Jerusalem, to keep the Passover in the second month.

3 For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.

King Hezekiah was tasked with bringing the people to a place of oneness or unity.

King Hezekiah desired that all of the people come together at Jerusalem. Jerusalem means “peace.” Therefore, King Hezekiah desired that the people all meet in a place called peace.

In particular, the following places were mentioned: Israel, Judah, Ephraim, and Manasseh.

Israel means ‘contender’ or ‘God’s fighter’. Judah means ‘praise’.’ Ephraim means ‘double fruitful’. Manasseh means ‘causing to forget’. 

Ephraim and Manasseh were Joseph the Dreamer’s children, who ended up with an inheritance because of what their father had been through.

King Hezekiah was calling together people who had vastly different personalities. Yet, the key was that if they all would come together with one goal in mind, the differences would make little difference.

Unity

If they all decided to meet at Jerusalem, or meet at ‘peace’ or ‘shalom’, then you would see what the power of unity could and would do.

It is fruitless to participate in the Passover when you are not united with your brethren. Communion refers to a ‘common union’.

People cannot sit at the table of Holy Communion when their hearts are divided against each other. Be sure that while men look on the outward appearance, God is looking at the heart of mankind to see if they are truly for unity.

In verse 3 of this chapter, you will see that once again God was pointing towards leadership. Once again it is noted that the priests still had not completely gotten themselves together. The priests were still not at the place where God would have them to be.

The bottom line is that no matter where you look, the leadership must be first partakers of everything.

The leaders must keep the standard that they will demand of others. If the leadership goes wrong, who will direct the fellowship?

There must be trust and integrity at the top and then the top can expect all to do likewise. As the king, King Hezekiah did the right things, and so it was a matter of whether or not the people would obey.

Obeying the voice or instructions of God will always yield bountiful blessings. When the King is blessed, the nation ought to be blessed.