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Wednesday, 22 February 2023

Where are the Couriers and the Carriers?


2 Chronicles 30:10-11 10The runners went from town to town throughout Ephraim and Manasseh and as far as the territory of Zebulun. But most of the people just laughed at the runners and made fun of them. 11 However, some people from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem.”

This is an incident that talks about the urgent call for repentance. Hezekiah whose name means, ‘whom Jehovah has strengthened,’ was the son of Ahaz (2 Kings 18:1). In Verse 3 this is what is testified about him. “He did what was right in the Lord’s sight just as his ancestor David has done.”. The history of this king is contained in 2 kings 18:20, Isaiah 36-39 and 2 Chronicles 29-32. He is spoken of as a great and good king. In public life he followed the example of his great-grandfather Uzziah.  He set himself to abolish idolatry from his kingdom, and among other things which he did for this end, he destroyed the “brazen serpent,” which had been removed to Jerusalem and had become an object of idolatrous worship (Numbers21:9).

After the cleansing of the temple and the renewal of temple worship, it is written that King Hezekiah and the officials and the Levites sang praises unto the Lord and worshipped Him. Then in 2 Chronicles 30 we see the King sent word throughout all Israel and Judah to come to the temple in Jerusalem and observe the Passover of the Lord the God of Israel. (2Chro 30:1-3).  In 2 Chronicles 30:6 NLT it says, “At the king’s command, runners were sent throughout Israel and Judah. They carried letters that said: O people of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so that he will return to the few of us who have survived the conquest of the Assyrian kings.”. In other version the word ‘couriers’ is mentioned in the place of ‘runners.’. In either sense the urgency of the message is portrayed.

The key verse in 2 Chronicles 30:11 says, “The runners went from town to town throughout Ephraim and Manasseh and as far as the territory of Zebulun. But most of the people just laughed at the runners and made fun of them.”. The urgency of the message even today, is muddled in attendance and celebration, devoid of the Mission Christ pronounced to the Church. The mission, which is the call for repentance, is intended to be taken swiftly because it comes along with the judgement too. The same urgency the runners displayed during the time of King Hezekiah needs to be replicated today, even more because it is Christ’s mandate, which is the Great Commission. But sadly, repeatedly it is lost in the decorum of the Church programs and weekly attendance. Today’s Churches demand peoples’ commitment in so many other forms and in the areas which have nothing to do with His mission at all.

It is said about the runners in the above verse that most of the people just laughed and made fun of them. The Church goers are only expected to attend week after week, without a need to make a commitment to be a courier or carriers of the gospel. All that is expected of them is to form the Sunday crowd, pay their offering and money to the Churches to feel good and important. For most of the believers it is just too difficult to come from the comfort zone. They are made to stay inside, procreate, and fill the Churches. Can we prepare the Church members to be the couriers and carriers of the Gospel?

Let us not forget, you and I are runners, announcing the good news of forgiveness! Some will listen, ponder it, and receive it. And some will laugh at us and mock us. But it’s okay. We aren’t the first to be laughed at, scorned, or jailed for our faith.  Today, people in many nations are suffering in jail for announcing their faith. Many are beaten, hungry and destitute. They would gladly do it again for Jesus! They don’t live for applause of men. It is recorded that some religious rulers mocked Jesus. (Matt 27:41) And some laughed at Paul. (Acts 17:32) So even if people laugh at you, will you be a faithful runner sharing your faith-story?


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